Forgotten Forever
by Kihin Ranno
Summary: The Makaiju has been purified, and Tsukikage no Knight's spirit has returned to Mamoru's body. He should remember his life as Tuxedo Kamen and his past as Prince Endymion, but he doesn't? What will happen now that he's forgotten?
1. Cruel Fate

Forgotten Forever  
by Kihin Ranno  
1/26  
R

Revised as of 2/23/11

It was over.

That was what Sailor Moon kept telling herself over and over again. The war with Ail and Ann had been brought to a peaceful finish. She'd ended the Makaiju's suffering. The Tsukikage no Knight was no more, and he was now one with Mamoru.

Mamoru, who she loved with all her body and soul. Mamoru, who had been the one saving her after all. Mamoru, who still looked like he was going to die.

"He looks bad," she murmured, pushing his bangs away from his forehead. It felt cold. She resisted the urge to brush her lips against his clammy skin only by reminding herself that this was not a fairy tale; a kiss would not wake him up. "Shouldn't…? The Tsukikage no Knight said reuniting his spirit with Mamoru would heal him, but he doesn't look any better."

Behind her, the four soldiers exchanged wary glances and silently debated how to proceed. She did not see, but sensed their hesitation and knew that they would be cautious in how they answered her. This only served to compound her fear.

Finally, Mars nodded and stepped forward. "He went through a lot. We all did."

"But… but he should be better. Why isn't he?" Sailor Moon insisted, her voice breaking. She didn't want to cry; she'd done enough of in her bedroom with only Luna to bear witness. Doing it here, in front of everyone, would have made her feel weak. Still, she couldn't help being afraid of Mamoru's grey skin, his shallow breathing.

Luna padded next to her. She would have gathered the cat in her arms had it not been for Mamoru. "He's going to be all right, Sailor Moon."

"I don't think Tsukikage no Knight meant he would fix everything," Jupiter added. "He couldn't be that powerful." She glanced at Venus and Artemis while she thought Sailor Moon couldn't see, and mouthed, 'Could he?'

They shrugged at Jupiter but chorused, "Jupiter's right."

Sailor Moon's hands began to shake. This was too much. It was supposed to be better now; _he_ was supposed to be better. Why wouldn't he wake up?

"We ought to get him to a hospital," Mercury murmured. "In fact, I think we all need medical attention. Jupiter's having trouble breathing." She flushed immediately after saying it, as if she hadn't meant to do so.

For the first time, Sailor Moon tore her eyes away from Mamoru's prone body. Her eyes widened, and she now doubted that she would emerge from this without crying. "You can't breathe! Why didn't you say something?"

"No!" Jupiter insisted, holding herself gingerly. "It's not that bad. I'm fine. Really."

"No, she isn't," Luna snapped. "I'd guess her ribs are at least bruised, and she's attempting to be stoic. Poorly."

"Luna, really, it's okay."

"It most certainly is not okay! And Mars, don't think I haven't noticed you favoring your left leg."

Mercury ignored the back-and-forth and crouched down beside Mamoru with what Sailor Moon realized was obvious difficulty. Of course the other girls were hurt. They'd been tossed around just as much as she had been. She wanted to apologize to them for having such tunnel vision, ignoring their pain and her own in favor of Mamoru.

She wanted to, but she knew they wouldn't have accepted. So she just watched as Mercury held Mamoru's wrist in her hand. She swallowed and said, "I couldn't find a pulse… but I've never been good at that sort of thing."

Mercury smiled gently. "Well, I am, and I can tell you that his pulse is strong. I'd say Tsukikage no Knight helped more than we can see just now."

Sailor Moon sagged back against Mars's legs, her bones practically liquidating in relief. "Thank God."

"But he still needs to see a doctor," Artemis pressed. "You too, Usagi. Can you even stand?"

Sailor Moon stared at him as though he spoke a foreign language. Though she hadn't had that long to imagine how the aftermath of this battle would play out, she'd always envisioned Mamoru and her rising together. Having to do it on her own seemed almost unfathomable. "I… I think so."

"Let me help you up," Mars said, offering a hand. Mars's uncharacteristic softness was not lost on Sailor Moon. She didn't know whether to be grateful or disturbed by it.

Sailor Moon slowly stumbled to her feet, shaking from head to foot. Now that she was moving, she felt acutely aware of what her body had gone through. She and Mamoru had taken the worst of the attacks. She didn't think she had any specific injuries, but she felt so weak that keeping her knees straight took an effort.

Mercury nodded approvingly at this progress and then rose beside Sailor Moon. "Just take deep breaths, Sailor Moon. We'll get everyone help, including Mamoru." She began to absently massage her wrist; Sailor Moon wondered if it was sprained. "I think the next order of business is alerting the proper authorities. I can use the computer to—"

"Too late, Mercury," Venus called out suddenly. Sailor Moon whirled too quickly and knocked against Mars to keep her balance. While the others had hovered around Mamoru, Venus had eventually moved to the edge of the roof. Sailor Moon was amazed she'd gotten so far and hoped that meant Venus wasn't that badly hurt. "I've got two ambulances, a fire truck, and more police that I can count. Unless I'm seeing double," she joked.

"I'm guessing the press isn't far behind," Artemis continued.

Venus sighed woefully. "And my hair such a mess. I'm in no shape for the paparazzi."

"What would they want with you?" Artemis muttered, obviously needling her. "It's not like you're famous or anything."

The conversation was about to devolve into an argument, and Mars was not about to have that. "Get away from the edge so they don't see you."

Venus stuck her tongue out, but complied.

"What do we do?" Jupiter asked, her speech noticeably slow. "Stay here?"

"Not transformed," Venus advised, shedding her flippancy as easily as she changed clothes. "Unless you're in the mood to be interviewed about what you do in the off-hours."

"Sounds like a dream come true for you," Artemis teased.

Venus scowled. "You're lucky I'm too sore to torture you, fuzz butt."

"Would you two shut up for a second?" Mars growled. "We should go."

"No!" Sailor Moon cried, making everyone jump. She regretted shouting and pulled herself together before continuing. "I'm not leaving Mamoru. Don't try to tell me he'll be fine; I don't care. I don't want to leave him."

The four Senshi and two cats exchanged a hesitant glance. Obviously, they didn't want to stick around, transformed or no. Sailor Moon knew Mars would argue to leave more strenuously than the others, but as it turned out, Mercury didn't give her the chance. "All right. We'll split the difference." She closed her eyes, allowing her transformation to slip off her in a rush of cool moisture, leaving Ami Mizuno where Sailor Mercury had once stood.

"What are you doing?" Jupiter asked.

Ami ignored her for the moment, staring at Venus. "Did they see you?"

The blonde shook her head. "Doubtful. They were in a rush to get to the door. We've probably got a little time before they get up here, but not much. With the Makaiju's roots cleared away, they'll be able to pick through the debris a lot easier than we were able to do."

Ami nodded briskly and addressed them as a group. "People definitely saw Usagi and Mamoru come in here. We'll say we knew Usagi was coming here, and that she was supposed to meet us later. When she didn't show up, we got worried and came by. It's no secret Seijuurou liked Usagi and that Natsumi didn't get along with her, so we thought they might have gotten into a fight. We saw weird flashes and ran inside. We got tossed around trying to help Usagi and Mamoru. Then the Senshi showed up, and we blacked out. Got it?"

Jupiter stared at Ami in open admiration. "No one can ever accuse you of being a bad liar."

"Not when it counts," Ami said, her eyes twinkling. "Now go pretend to be unconscious."

She and Venus gave twin salutes. They smiled Sailor Moon's way before turning and arranging themselves among the rubble. Luna trotted after Venus and Artemis, probably planning on hiding beneath some larger pieces of the wreckage. Mars rolled her eyes and then drifted away, but Sailor Moon noticed she didn't go very far. It was then that Usagi decided that it was silly to be frightened by Rei's tenderness, or anyone else's. She hoped she'd remember to thank them all when this was over.

Ami was about to find her own spot, but Sailor Moon reached out to stop her, stopping short of grabbing the girl's injured hand.

"Yes?" Ami asked, raising her eyebrows in expectation.

Sailor Moon licked her lips, uncertain with how to proceed. She felt selfish even thinking about this right then, but she couldn't wait to ask Ami later. She had to know something now, so she could allow herself to hope.

"Do you think…" she began softly, "Do you think he'll remember now?"

The question obviously took Ami aback, and Sailor Moon almost regretted asking. She wouldn't have if she wasn't so desperate to know. She knew Ami more than anyone else would be honest with her, would rather give her the right answer than the one she wanted to hear.

"I don't know," Ami admitted, looking sorry. "But if Tsukikage no Knight represented Mamoru's memories, and if he is one with Mamoru now… I think that means he'll remember."

Sailor Moon's heart felt lighter. She looked back towards where Mamoru lay, feeling comforted for the first time that day. "That's what I thought too, but… I just needed someone else to say it."

Ami obviously wanted to say something more, but she suppressed the impulse for some reason. Maybe she was worried the paramedics would arrive soon. In the end, she told Usagi to stay cheerful and squeezed her hand before drawing away.

Sailor Moon knew time was of the essence, but she couldn't help but take her time looking at Mamoru. It might be awhile before she saw him again, if he needed medical attention as much as Ami seemed to think he did. Would he remember who Sailor Moon really was? Would he remember the feelings he had once had for her? Would she finally get that first kiss she'd denied herself during the final battle with Metallia?

"Please be all right, Mamoru," Usagi murmured. "Please remember me."

She allowed her transformation to fade in a sparkling cascade of pink ribbon and feathers. She laid down just a few feet away from Mamoru, daring even to reach out and grasp his fingers with her own.

She closed her eyes just before the doors to the roof burst wide open.

* * *

"Do you think he'll want to see me right away?" Usagi asked several hours later, her head pooled in Rei's lap.

Rei shrugged, absently combing her fingers through one of Usagi's pigtails. "I don't know. He might need some time to collect himself, you know."

Makoto hovered behind the couch they had taken over, absently petting Luna with the hand that wasn't clutching her ribcage. "Rei's right. It'll be a big deal, remembering all of that. He might need a few days to wrap his head around it."

Usagi's heart lurched at the thought. Would she really have to wait that long to see him again? It had been all she could do to allow them to be separated at the hospital.

Rei noticed her obvious distress and pinched her forearm lightly, avoiding any bruises. "Stupid Usagi. A few days won't matter as long as he remembers, right?"

"And as long as he's healthy," Luna added quietly, a little perturbed, though this was mostly because Makoto had stopped scratching.

The brunette dutifully went back to work, and Luna's remonstrations were replaced by loud purring. "We already know he doesn't need surgery like they thought he would." She paused thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, he probably did until Tsukikage no Knight helped him."

Rei cleared her throat loudly, glaring.

Makoto backtracked in a hurry. "Ah, I mean—I'm sure it was never that serious!"

Usagi smiled. "It's okay, you guys. I feel better now that Dr. Mizuno told us he'll be all right." By a stroke of luck, they had been taken to the hospital where Ami's mother worked. As soon as an orderly had recognized Dr. Mizuno's only daughter, she had been notified. The doctor had examined everyone personally, with the exception of Mamoru, whose injuries were more severe. However, at Ami's behest, she had consulted with the attending doctor and discovered that Mamoru was not as bad off as they'd originally thought. The staff seemed baffled by his condition, but Dr. Mizuno hadn't concerned herself with it, no doubt too busy worrying about her own daughter.

As for the other girls' families, Usagi's parents had been at one of Shingo's away baseball games, and it would be a few hours before they arrived. Rei hadn't been able to reach either her grandfather or her father, though the latter was no surprise. Makoto of course had no parents to call. Her only family was in Germany and could be of no help in this situation. And Minako had refused to give any contact information for her family no matter how much the nurses on call pestered her.

Usagi glanced over to where Minako stood apart from their group, Artemis dutifully at her side. She'd been quiet ever since they reached the hospital, spending time alone, which Usagi felt was out of character. "Do you think Minako's okay?"

Rei shrugged, but Usagi didn't miss the quick frown she sent Minako's way. "I know she doesn't get along with her mother; that's why she didn't want her parents called. That hardly explains her brooding though."

"Maybe she just has a headache and needs some quiet," Makoto offered, obviously uncomfortable discussing Minako's relationship with her parents. Usagi knew how much it must hurt to see Minako refuse help when Makoto had no one to reach out to.

"Maybe," Usagi murmured quietly. "I'll check on her in a few minutes though."

Makoto snorted. "If you can get up."

"If I can get up."

Rei sighed petulantly. "Minako's just fine. She's probably just dreaming about some cute doctor she saw. What I want to know is what's taking Ami so long."

"Dr. Mizuno was pretty upset to see Ami hurt," Luna reminded Rei sensibly, risking being overheard in favor of being the voice of reason. "She hid it well, but you can hardly blame her for wanting to be alone with Ami for a while."

"No," Rei agreed. "But once Ami's finished with her mother, she's supposed to check on Mamoru. It's been over an hour!"

"Patience is a virtue," Makoto teased.

Rei scoffed. "A useless virtue."

Usagi laughed along with her friends, but the truth was, she was just as impatient as Rei. She didn't want to talk about it for fear of jinxing it or annoying the others, but she was anxious to know how he was. And more importantly, what he remembered.

She knew Makoto was probably right; he would need some time. But Usagi could hardly wait for the day, the hour, _the minute_ when he would be ready to see her. She didn't know where it would be; he might still in the hospital, or it could be at the arcade, or even on some random street corner. But she knew that he'd smile at her, the kind smile he so rarely displayed for her or anyone else. His eyes would recognize her not just as an annoying fourteen-year-old kid, but as his past lover and the girl heroine he had saved countless times over. Usagi knew that she'd throw her arms around his neck, probably crying, but the best part would be that he would embrace her in turn. It would no longer be a one-sided romance. It would be real and whole, and everything would be all right again.

And in the meantime, there was nothing she could do but wait.

* * *

"All right, Minako," Artemis hissed, his eyes darting about to make sure that no one overheard a cat talking. "Something's eating you, and it's making my ears twitch."

Minako smiled ruefully. She placed a hand on the window, watching another ambulance pull in. "Explain to me what one thing has to do with the other?"

Artemis muttered darkly under his breath. A passing doctor paused, obviously confused as to what, if anything, he'd heard. Minako covered the cat's mouth and flashed a dazzling smile the doctor's way. He subsequently forgot about the incident, smiled back, and went about his business.

Minako snorted and turned back to her street vigil. "Too easy."

She heard shouting and turned back to look out the window. She stared at EMT's and triage nurses running around the ambulance, shouting back and forth at one another. One man climbed on top of the gurney and began performing CPR on the patient. His hands were covered in blood.

"Do you think that's because of us?" she asked softly, shuddering.

"No," Artemis said without hesitation. "Even if it has anything to do with the Makaiju, it has nothing to do with you."

"I guess not," Minako admitted reluctantly. "Still doesn't feel great, though."

"It wouldn't," Artemis counseled. "And you haven't distracted me by the way. I still want to know what's up with you."

Minako frowned, finally tearing her eyes away from the bloody scene in front of her. "Are you expecting me to be cheerful after that?"

"No," Artemis answered. "But I'd expect you to be cheering someone else up." He glanced meaningfully towards Usagi. "Don't you want to be with them?"

Minako laughed dryly. "I can't have a minute to myself every once in a while?"

"You don't like being by yourself, and besides, that's not my point," Artemis chastised. "You're avoiding Usagi."

"I am not—"

"Minako, please," Artemis intoned drily. "Don't lie to me. Just tell me what's going on."

She flinched. "You're too perceptive for a cat."

"So you've said."

Minako could have kept deflecting and avoiding for hours, but frankly, she was too tired. She didn't have any specific injuries like the other girls, but the nurses hadn't even bothered to count how many bruises and lacerations she had. She was exhausted beyond the telling of it, and she didn't have the energy to play these games with Artemis. So in the end, she just told him the truth.

"I'm worried about Usagi and Mamoru."

"And we're not?" Artemis asked, bordering on defensive.

Minako swatted at him, taking care not to actually hit him. "Keep your voice down. And I know everyone's worried, but… not in the same way I am. I know they'll be fine physically, but I…." She drifted off, not wanting to say it out loud. She was terrified of jinxing it, but she didn't know how to keep this to herself.

Artemis rubbed against her legs, comforting her more than he knew. "Minako. Tell me."

Minako caught her bottom lip in her teeth and steadied herself. Even though Usagi was out of earshot, she made sure the girl wasn't listening. She had no idea how Usagi would react if she heard.

"Could he really still love her after all this time?" Minako inquired softly. "I mean... He's died. He's been brainwashed. He's lost his memory.

"And what if he doesn't remember? What if he does, but he doesn't want anything to do with her? I just… I know she's anxious for this to turn out like the fairy tale she never got. I know she's paralyzed because he wasn't immediately okay like she thought he'd be. I'm scared of what will happen if it doesn't turn out like we hope. Like _she_ hopes."

Artemis stared at her in disbelief. Minako couldn't be sure what he was thinking, but she could guess. She knew he would not expect this from her. She was usually more of a romantic idealist; this bordered on cynical, which was something she was not.

"It has to," Artemis finally insisted. She wondered if it sounded hollow to him.

"Because you say so?"

"Because it makes sense," Artemis pressed. "Tsukikage no Knight remembered Usagi, Sailor Moon, Beryl… all of it. He's with Mamoru now. Why wouldn't he remember?"

Minako shook her head. "Why didn't Tsukikage no Knight heal him completely like Usagi thought he would?"

"There are a hundred explanations for that," Artemis countered tartly. "Mamoru would have had a much worse reaction to the beating because he wasn't transformed like you."

Minako sighed. "You didn't seem so sure of that before."

"I've had time to think. And now I'm sure that when he does wake up, he'll be in pain, but he'll remember.

Minako jerked, desperately wanting to stamp her foot. "You don't know that!"

"Listen to me, Aino Minako," Artemis hissed. "He is going to remember her and the Dark Kingdom and maybe even a little bit of the Silver Millennium. He is going to remember that he loved her once, and he's going to love her all over again. And then… I don't know, they'll kiss passionately, ride off into the sunset on his motorcycle, and live happily ever after. And if you say one more word about this, I will cough up so many fur balls on your clothes that you'll have to go through the rest of your life in a potato sack. Understood?"

Minako just stared at him for a minute. She couldn't remember him ever being angry with her before. She'd confided in him hoping he'd calmly talk her down from the cliff, but instead he'd snapped. That could mean only one thing.

He was worried too. The difference was that he didn't dare to say it out loud.

And maybe he was right about that. What good did it do to worry? Either he'd remember or he wouldn't. No matter what, it would be something all of them would have to deal with together. It would be better to prepare herself for that.

So she forced herself to smile down at him. "Ride off into the sunset on a motorbike, huh?" she asked, winking lasciviously. "Is that what you'd do with Luna if you were people?"

Artemis turned pink beneath his fur. "Shut up."

"It totally is. Artemis, the bad boy. Err, cat." She chuckled quietly. "I'm on your side, you know."

"I do," Artemis sighed. Then he glanced over at Usagi. "So. It's out of your system. You should go take care of her."

Minako hung back for a few more seconds. She breathed deeply, preparing. Acting was all about the process and the work that went into the performance beforehand. She couldn't let anyone know what she was really thinking. Luckily, she'd had a lot of practice.

She wiped her palms on her skirt, took a deep breath and stepped forward. She crouched down in front of Usagi and tried to think of herself like a light bulb turning on and lighting up a room. "Sorry, there was a really cute male nurse having a cigarette outside. He was so cool! I think he had a tattoo."

Rei scoffed, scowling. "How can you think of boys at a time like this?"

"Hey, he was really cute!" Minako maintained. Then she looked down at Usagi and said, "Seriously, he might have gotten you to think about somebody other than Mamoru."

Usagi gasped, affronted. "Nothing could keep me from thinking about—" She ground to a halt, overhearing her friends giggling at her. She pouted. "You're teasing me."

"Always," Minako assured her, patting the top of her hair. "Now then. Let's discuss pet names for your boy toy. I personally think Snuggle Honey is quite fitting."

Usagi laughed loudly, belatedly covering her mouth. "Mamoru would hate that!"

"Well, it's not about what he likes, is it?" Minako asked with a wink. "What do you think, Rei? Surely you have something you call Yuuichirou, right?"

Minako watched Rei turn a spectacular shade of purple while Usagi and Makoto giggled. And Minako kept the laughs coming. She reminded herself of a ballerina in a music box, dancing as long as the mechanism was wound. She'd twirl and twirl, dazzling them all for as long as she could. Because no matter how she tried to convince herself otherwise, Minako could not shake the feeling that soon, they wouldn't have much to smile about.

* * *

Ami looked over at the myriad of machines and monitors that Mamoru was hooked up to. To her dismay and relief, nothing had changed. His blood pressure was lower than normal, but not quite low enough to cause concern. His pulse remained surprisingly strong, though not quite that of a man in full health. It was as if his heart was in denial about what his body had been through. She then checked the few bandages she could see, pulling at them to see if they were too tight, too loose, or dirtied. Everything seemed in order. There was nothing for her to fix.

Of course, it wouldn't have been proper for Ami to do anything of the sort, no matter whose daughter she was. She probably would have called a nurse in. Then she would have two distractions from her circular thoughts.

Ami sat back down, staring at Mamoru's pale face. His color might have been better than the last time she'd examined it, but it was hard to tell. The blue and purple bruises stood out against his flesh like spilled ink on paper.

She sighed, worrying at her bandaged wrist. She was driving herself crazy. She wasn't an impatient person, and that was why she had elected to stay with Mamoru once her mother had returned to her usual duties. Perhaps she should have let the other girls know, but she didn't. Four girls talking into their watches might have looked strange to observers.

Though if she were perfectly honest with herself, that wasn't the real reason she had stayed behind. Usagi had asked her if she thought Mamoru would remember. It left Ami feeling as though she was personally responsible for the information. She wanted to be the one to convey the answer as Usagi's oldest friend among the Sailor Senshi.

And she wanted to do it alone. She didn't want Rei hovering in agitation, nor Makoto attempting to be helpful, and especially not Minako trying to cheerfully distract her. Most of all, she didn't want to see Usagi sitting at his bedside, holding his mangled hand in her own, willing him to wake up and remember.

Ami knew one or all of them would have barged into his room, hospital policy or no. She needed to be alone. She needed to focus. Mamoru was more than just a person to her; he was a puzzle she was determined to solve.

Her mind was an untamable beast. If the merging of Tsukikage no Knight and Mamoru had been a logic puzzle, she would have expected the answer to be simple. Once the physical manifestation of his memories returned to him, Mamoru would remember. It should also mean that his physical strength and conditioning from his time as Tuxedo Kamen would return.

But based on his wrecked body, that hadn't happened. Perhaps that had been too great of a mental leap to make, but what did that mean when it came to his memories? Would they be there, hidden beneath several layers of consciousness? Would he be overwhelmed by them? Would his mind protect him from the trauma by erasing them all over again?

She could come up with a hundred possible scenarios for what would become of Mamoru. But there was one thing not even her mind could predict.

What would Usagi do?

Suddenly, Mamoru groaned.

Ami jumped, gasping. A moment later, she chastised herself. This is what she had been waiting for; there was no reason to be frightened by it.

Then again, there was all the reason in the world.

Mamoru struggled to open his eyes. One was blackened and nearly swollen shut, but after considerable effort, his vision seemed to clear. He looked up at Ami and inhaled sharply, genuinely shocked to see her. "Mizuno...?"

Ami's ignored her stomach flip-flopping. What he called her meant nothing. She wasn't transformed, so there was no reason to call her Mercury, and he had no reason to be informal with her either. They had never been good friends.

"How are you feeling, Mamoru?" Ami asked.

Mamoru pondered that for a moment, obviously trying to come up with something clever to say. He quickly abandoned the impulse. "Like shit."

Ami felt her cheeks turn red. She wondered if he would have thought to apologize based on whether he remembered or not. She cleared her throat and said, "I'll get the nurse in a moment. They have you on a morphine drip, but they might need to increase the dosage."

"Thanks," Mamoru croaked. Then his eyes drifted to her bandaged hand. He took a moment to absorb this and the other bruises that littered her body. "You're hurt."

"No, I'm fine," Ami insisted, hiding her arm self-consciously. "Mamoru, do you remember what happened?" she asked, subtly imbuing the sentence with import. She needed him to know that she meant more than the one battle, but she couldn't risk being explicit with him on the off-chance….

Mamoru looked confused. "Yes, I… there was… Natsumi and Seijuurou. They were… aliens." He chuckled, coughing. "Only in Tokyo, huh?"

"Apparently," Ami agreed, smiling softly. She opened her mouth to speak again, to press him on whether or not he remembered, when the coughing became more severe. She needed to get the nurse. He was clearly in agony, but she didn't want the painkillers to cloud his mind before she could the answers she needed. She'd hate herself for this later, but she had to know. "Mamoru, tell me what else you remember."

His coughing subsided. He closed his eyes and swallowed; it took considerable effort. "Usagi."

For a moment, Ami's heart stopped. "Yes?"

"Is she all right?" The monitors beeped at her, signaling that his heart rate was increasing. It was a physical reaction to the panic he felt that Usagi might be hurt. A good sign or a natural reaction?

Ami nodded. "Yes, yes, she's fine. You… you protected her until the Sailor Senshi arrived." She left it at that, hoping the ambiguous statement might be enough for him to connect the dots. Ami had not been there, but Sailor Mercury had been. Ami was hurt.

Mamoru's jaw tightened, his fists clenching. "They were… hurting her."

"Yes," Ami whispered, her voice breaking a little. "Yes, they were."

"But the Senshi… they saved us?"

Ami's heart sank. He didn't even remember the Sailor Senshi showing up? That wasn't good, but it could have been temporary. She would have to push harder than she wanted to.

"Do you remember what Usagi did?" Ami hissed desperately. "What do you remember about Usagi?"

His heart rate rose again. In fact, it seemed to be speeding up rapidly, enough so that Ami was beginning to be concerned. The nurses would be monitoring this from their desk, but perhaps Ami should hit the call button now.

Then all of a sudden, it leveled out again. Ami stared, first at the monitor and then at Mamoru.

He seemed genuinely perplexed. "I reached out for her… and then I woke up, and… yes, the Senshi were there. Sailor Moon, she…."

Ami had never felt so compelled to shake another human being in her life. "What? What about Sailor Moon?"

Mamoru's eyes narrowed. Ami realized he was keeping something from her, perhaps what Sailor Moon had said to him before Ail and Ann's attacks began in earnest. He wouldn't want her to know that; she knew he was private. Still, she made a note of it.

"Did she and the other Senshi get Usagi out?" he asked, wheezing. "I don't remember seeing her… after Sailor Moon arrived."

Ami's heart wrenched. But she forced herself to say, "No… No, that was us. Me, Makoto, Minako, and Rei. We knew Usagi was at the apartment, and when we saw what was happening… We got there just before the Senshi did. We kept her hidden. That's why I'm hurt." She turned away sharply, her eyes beginning to burn. "I'll get the nurse."

As it turned out, there was no need. The nurses and doctors bumped into her on her way out. No doubt they would ask him some of the same questions and perhaps wonder why his heart rate had been so inconsistent. They might yell at her for agitating the patient. For once, Ami didn't care.

She shut the door behind them. Then she sank onto a bench outside the room, brought her knees up to her chest, and hugged her legs.

Mamoru didn't remember. And she was the one who had to tell.

* * *

Time passed slowly for the next hour or so. Minako kept a steady string of conversation going. Rei played the indignant victim at all the right places, while Makoto continued to be the adept partner-in-crime. Luna and Artemis curled up together on the couch. And Usagi kept her head pillowed in Rei's lap, smiling and hopeful. Assured that all of her dreams were about to come true.

Then Ami rounded the corner.

"Ami," Usagi asked, sitting up slowly. "Where have you been? Is your mother upset?"

Ami didn't answer for a minute, as if she'd forgotten how to speak. Then she cleared her throat. "No, no… Mama had to go back to work, so I… I decided to wait with Mamoru."

Now Usagi was up and off the couch in the blink of an eye, ignoring the loud protests of Rei and Makoto. Now that her back was to them, she couldn't see the sudden hard line of Minako's mouth or the way both cats arched their backs.

"Did you see him? Did you talk to him? Is he really all right? Ami, what did he say?"

Instinctively, Makoto reached out to Minako and Rei. Minako grabbed her hand, but Rei was too engrossed with watching Usagi to notice. Makoto grasped her shoulder instead, needing the contact.

"I saw him," Ami answered slowly, opting to take one question at a time. "He… He was in a lot of pain, but I'm sure they've given him more medication by now. He'll sleep for a long time, and he should be better when he wakes up."

"Great!" Usagi said, her posture slack with relief. "And did he say anything? About me? Does… does he want to see me?"

Everyone noticed how she pointedly did not ask if he remembered.

Ami tried to speak. Her mouth opened and closed, starting sentences she could not manage to voice. She started stuttering and tears sprang to her eyes. Anyone else would have guessed this was not the first time.

But Usagi couldn't fathom failure. "Ami? Ami, what's wrong?"

Ami covered her mouth and turned away.

"Ami?" Usagi asked again.

Makoto pulled away from Rei and Minako with some reluctance and went to Ami. She wound her arms around the smaller girl, physically shielding her from Usagi's questions. Meanwhile, Minako and Rei exchanged long, saddened looks. They all knew now what had happened.

Minako jerked her head towards Usagi, indicating that Rei step in. At first, Rei clearly resisted, but then nodded solemnly, slowly rising to her feet. She limped over to Usagi while Minako sat beside the cats, gathering them into her arms. They both mewled sadly as she nuzzled their faces with her cheek.

"Ami, please," Usagi whispered, worried and hurt. "What—"

"Usagi," Rei murmured, resting a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Don't."

But she still didn't seem to understand. "Rei… why won't anyone say what's going on?"

Rei physically braced herself for the emotional onslaught she knew would come. She knew it would hurt enough to bruise, so she did it quickly, hoping to lessen the damage. "He doesn't remember, Usagi. It didn't work."

"I'm so sorry," Ami said over Makoto's shushing noises.

For a moment, Usagi still wouldn't comprehend what she'd been told. Her expression didn't change, the expectant smile frozen on her face. She glanced down at Rei's hand on her shoulder, the uncharacteristically sympathetic look on her face. She watched Minako set Luna on the floor so the cat could run to her. Makoto kept holding Ami. Ami wouldn't look at her.

Finally, it registered, as if from far away. _ He doesn't remember._

Her scream echoed over the wail of the sirens.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES – 02/23/2011  
Yes, I realize that I said I wouldn't revise again. But hey, at least I'm not deleting it all and starting from scratch! I just was reading through this again the other day. I found some typos, and decided I didn't like how everyone was behaving. It seemed just a little off. So I tweaked it a little – a lot actually, and now I'm much happier.

Anyway, this in addition to the plot hole I discovered has inspired me to go through all the other chapters and fix some things. Don't worry; nothing major will change. After the first few chapters, the revisions will be more cosmetic and therefore go faster. Once they're all done, I hope to announce it with a brand new chapter! Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks to Syrinx for the original beta, and the Yumeko for editing the revision.

Please read and review!

Next – Part Two: Still


	2. Still

Forgotten Forever  
by Kihin Ranno  
2/26  
R

Revised as of 3/27/11

**One Month Earlier**

_It was over._

_She had fought the good fight and won the battle. She had protected Naru, Artemis, and Luna. She had seen the face of the new enemy, and she had not been paralyzed with fear. Yes, it was all over._

_All over for her and her normal life._

_Only hours before she had been blissfully unaware of her other life. Since the Dark Kingdom had been defeated and her memory had been erased, Usagi had daydreamed about being a super hero and a princess. She had thought that the life of a hero would be glamorous and exciting, forgetting the details of duty and constant anxiety._

_For weeks, her biggest worry had been what she was going to tell her mother when she saw her latest English test. She had cried over stupid things like having to stand out in the hallway with a bucket of water on her head. She had gone around with Naru talking about video games, food, clothes, and the cute new boy at school. What was his name again?_

_But now she remembered that there were monsters outside of her nightmares._

_Sailor Moon, the fourteen year old heroine with a cheery disposition and a double life, shut her eyes. She didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were forming in her eyes. It was as useless as shoveling snow in a blizzard._

_"To the old Usagi... bye bye."_

_That done, Sailor Moon turned to the two guardians, her only companions. Luna ducked her head, not in reverence but in shame. Sailor Moon didn't miss the two tear drops that fell from the cat's eyes, staining the pavement._

_"Luna," Sailor Moon chided kindly, kneeling and gathering her cat into her arms, "Don't feel guilty about this, please. You did what you had to do. I know that."_

_The cat nodded, snuggling closer to her charge. Artemis padded closer, his green eyes wide with concern. "You were so happy... I wish-"_

_"So do I," Sailor Moon interrupted. "But I understand."_

_"Usagi's right," Artemis said hastily. "What's done is done. Sailor Moon is awake now, and we shouldn't despair. We already know our enemy and what they want, which is more than we could say last time. And Usagi's more experienced now. It should be… well, maybe not easier, but less complicated. If that makes sense."_

_Sailor Moon smiled, setting Luna down. "You sound like Minako." She paused, her eyes lighting up with zeal . "How is she? And Rei? I see Ami and Makoto at school, but I haven't seen the other girls... Actually, I take that back. I have. I pass the shrine a lot, and I see Minako at the mall and the arcade and in the street. I never noticed it before... how I always see them."_

_Luna chuckled softly, pulling herself together. "I suppose fate really is determined to draw you girls together."_

_"As for how they are," Artemis began, his whiskers drooping slightly, "I really couldn't say. Rei's crows are... Well, I personally think they're just disagreeable, but Luna thinks they're being protective of Rei somehow. They won't let us anywhere near the shrine."_

_Sailor Moon considered this. "They have always been a little strange. So they think you're going to eat them, or…?"_

_Luna flicked her tail, her eyes narrowed. "That's what Artemis thinks, but I think it's more than that. They're protecting Rei from us, so that we don't drag her into a fight again."_

_"Oh," Sailor Moon murmured, frowning. She honestly had no idea what to make of that information, though she wondered what the crows would do if she approached. "What about Minako? Artemis?"_

_Artemis suddenly took an acute interest in a crack in the cement, glaring at it as if it had done him some horrible disservice._

_Luna rolled her eyes and spoke for him, ignoring his tail patting her on her hind leg. "Apparently, Minako became indifferent to him. Naturally, her mother saw her apathy and kicked him out."_

_"She probably hasn't even noticed I'm gone," Artemis muttered angrily. "After all I did for that girl. This is the thanks I get?"_

_Sailor Moon scratched his head, cooing in as soothing a manner as possible. "There, there. I'm sure she'll feel just awful when she remembers everything."_

_Suddenly, Sailor Moon straightened, almost leaping to her feet. "Wait, no. You can't."_

_Artemis and Luna blanched, uncomprehending. "Can't?" Luna asked. "Can't what?"_

_"You can't awaken them," Sailor Moon insisted._

_Artemis arched his back, hissing at the idea. "But we have to! You need allies, and—"_

_"No, please," Sailor Moon pleaded, folding her hands in supplication. "I… I want to try and do this by myself. I miss them, I do, but… I want to give them some time. Let them be normal for just a little while longer. Like Artemis said, I'm stronger now. Better. Maybe I can take care of the Earth on my own. At least let me try. Please?"_

_Luna and Artemis exchanged wary glances. Sailor Moon could tell that they didn't like this idea. She'd known they wouldn't. But she also knew Artemis in particular would want to shield Minako for as long as he could, and they both loved the other girls. If they could just focus on that, maybe she had a chance to give the girls some peace._

_Luna unsheathed her claws. "I don't like the idea of you not having any allies, no one to support you."_

_Sailor Moon frowned, mulling over the idea in her mind. Then she looked up and saw where they were, noticed the apartment building she'd forgotten she knew of. She glanced up to the floor where she thought **he** was._

_And then she made a very selfish decision._

_"So don't."_

_Luna and Artemis followed her gaze. It obviously took them a minute to register its significance to her. When they realized what she meant, their tails drooped._

_"Mamoru?" Luna asked softly, turning back to Sailor Moon._

_Artemis was equally unconvinced. "Are we sure this a good idea?"_

_Usagi swallowed, glancing away from them, finding it was difficult to watch them. "I… miss him. Maybe that's silly. We were never really friends. I'd just decided not to hate him so much when he got taken. But he helped me so much. He's not a Sailor Senshi, but he's an ally just the same. And I'd… I'd like to get to know him again. Or for the first time."_

_Artemis shook his head. "I don't—"_

_"All right," Luna interrupted._

_Artemis jumped, shocked. "Luna! We need to think about this!"_

_"Do we?" Luna asked wearily. "I want to give the girls time, too. Don't stand there and tell me that you don't love seeing Minako carefree after everything she went through. That's how I felt about Usagi, how I feel for all of them._

_"But I can't let her be alone either. So why not Mamoru?"_

_"He doesn't deserve a rest either?" Artemis bristled._

_Sailor Moon flinched._

_"How do you suppose Tuxedo Kamen always managed to find us, Artemis?" Luna demanded. "Do you suppose he had a communicator?_

_"I always had a theory," Luna continued, "that he was physically compelled to follow Sailor Moon. How else do you explain him always just showing up in the nick of time? He wasn't awakened to his powers; his powers awakened when she did. Because they're connected from a past life. How can we be sure the same thing won't happen this time? Wouldn't we rather he know what he's doing? Shouldn't he be working with us instead of operating independently?"_

_Artemis leaned away from her, curling in on himself. He frowned, chastened but not invested in the idea. "I guess if you two think this is a good idea… I'll support it. I just hope we don't regret this."_

_"We won't," Sailor Moon said, certain of herself. "I know we won't."_

_Sailor Moon moved forward and scooped both cats up. Once they were secure, she leapt up, soaring above the pavement. She traveled on rooftops as swiftly as she could, ignoring the throbbing ache in her weakened muscles. She reached his building soon enough, and Sailor Moon ascended it by way of the balconies._

_Sailor Moon finally paused at one of the top apartments, instinctively releasing Luna and Artemis. She hadn't been counting the floors, but she knew the moment her boot touched the stone that she was in the right place. Just to be sure, she squinted into the blackened apartment. She caught sight of a familiar shape dozing beneath a blanket, black hair falling into his eyes._

_"He looks like a little boy," Sailor Moon murmured, smiling fondly, trailing her fingertips along the windowpane. "Almost… innocent. It's so strange."_

_Artemis shivered against the wind. "How exactly do you plan on getting in anyway?"_

_Sailor Moon chuckled quietly. She pulled at the window seam, moving the sliding glass door with ease. "I noticed he doesn't lock his windows when I was here last time."_

_Luna frowned. "Why on Earth would he do that?"_

_"Maybe it's instinct from being Tuxedo Kamen," Artemis mused quietly. "Either that or it's been unlocked since Beryl was around and he hasn't noticed yet."_

_Sailor Moon shushed them, motioning for the cats go in ahead of her. They obeyed, silently moving from the balcony to the carpeted bedroom. Sailor Moon hesitated for a moment, breathing deeply. She wasn't stupid. She knew this was a gross invasion of privacy, not to mention a technically criminal act. However, she felt sure that he'd forgive her once they awakened his memories._

_Finally, she stepped inside, finding that as Sailor Moon she could see much easier in the light of Mamoru's alarm clock. She hovered over the bed, taking care that her long hair didn't brush against him. He really did look younger when he was sleeping, free of worries and stress. She chewed on her lips, remembering that she was about to take all of that away from him._

_But Luna had said he might wake up anyway, sort of. So that meant that this was better. It was better to let the other Senshi sleep for now. This was the only way to take care of Mamoru._

_Even if it meant she'd be accused of being selfish later. Even if it meant her accusers would be right._

_"Doesn't look like we'll have to worry about him waking up," Artemis mumbled, flicking his tail towards the bedside table. Sailor Moon narrowed her eyes, struggling to see what Artemis could make out so easily. Eventually, he took pity on her. "It's a pill bottle, prescription for a sleep aid. And it looks from the dosage that he's out for good."_

_Sailor Moon frowned. She didn't like that Mamoru was having trouble sleeping. Did that mean he was still having dreams, or was he natural insomniac? "I'll have to ask him about that."_

_"I guess you will," Luna whispered, her voice small._

_Artemis meowed with concern. "Are you sure about this? Will you powers even work on him?"_

_Luna appeared mildly affronted. "Of course they'll work," she snapped, hopping onto the bed. Mamoru grunted and wiggled a little, but he didn't stir._

_"And my first question?" Artemis deadpanned._

_Luna's ear briefly laid flat to her head. "We're here now."_

_Artemis certainly would have pressed her more had Luna not turned her head. Neither he nor Sailor Moon could mistake the sudden shimmer that ran across the crescent on Luna's brow, and they both fell silent. A moment later, a beam of light shot from the golden moon, impacting with the same place on Mamoru's face. An unseen wind blew, lifting his bangs away from his skin, and the room filled with rosy colored light._

_No symbol appeared on his forehead, but Sailor Moon knew that Luna was now in his mind._

_She waited on baited breath, watching Mamoru for signs of distress. She watched his eyebrows grow closer together and his jaw line sharpen. He moaned quietly, and it was all she could do not to grab his hand. Was he in pain? Sailor Moon hadn't felt anything when Luna had reawakened her memories… except a profound sense of sadness. Of loss. Perhaps Mamoru was experiencing the same thing._

_But soon, it would all be different. Mamoru had experienced plenty of horrors as Tuxedo Kamen and Prince Endymion, but there was so much more to his existence than despair. They'd had fun together as Usagi and Mamoru, hadn't they? She knew he liked teasing her, and maybe she could learn to enjoy it, too. Fighting alongside each other had sometimes been terrifying, but other times it had been exhilarating. She remembered adrenaline pumping through her veins as they ran from enemies, attacked together, survived together. And there was the peace she'd felt when she had finally remembered her past as Princess Serenity. There had been sorrow there, too, but also a sense of completion, finality. Like she'd finally found the missing pieces to a puzzle she hadn't known she'd lost._

_It would be hard. She knew that better than anyone. But she would be there for him every step of the way. He would see why she had to do this. He would agree she made the right decision._

_And maybe she would finallyfinallyfinally get the kiss she had denied herself._

_"Something's wrong," Artemis said, too loudly for Sailor Moon's taste. She almost clamped a hand on his mouth. "Luna?"_

_She turned to face her guardian and recoiled in shock. Luna was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her entire body trembling. Her teeth were bared in concentration, her back arched. Her eyes were so wide._

_"Sailor Moon, pull her away."_

_She shook her head. "But what if—"_

_The trembling became more violent. Luna mewled in pain._

_"Sailor Moon, now!"_

_This time, she didn't waste time. She reached forward and yanked her cat away, pulling so hard that she nearly toppled. She stumbled back onto the balcony, cradling Luna close, Artemis at her heels._

_"Luna!" Artemis nearly shouted. "Luna, talk to me! What happened?"_

_Luna let out another weak meow. Then she looked up at Sailor Moon with those same wide eyes. This time, Sailor Moon didn't miss the tears._

_"I'm so sorry," she whispered weakly. "I don't know what it is… but it's like… there's nothing there."_

_Sailor Moon gaped at her. "What do you mean?"_

_"I mean… there are no memories I can find. They aren't there," Luna shuddered. "Like he's not even the same person anymore."_

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes. It was early – earlier than she normally cared to be awake. Then again, she hadn't been sleeping. She had been too busy remembering that first night she'd reawakened as Sailor Moon, when she'd tried to bring back Mamoru's memories. Luna's discovery had made no sense at the time, but now it was perfectly understandable: Mamoru's memories really hadn't been there. It had been devastating at the time, but she'd worked through it. And when Tsukikage no Knight told her the truth about his identity, she'd been sure all of the mysteries surrounding Mamoru had been solved.

But how could anyone explain why he didn't remember now?

She had stayed up the entire night trying to figure it out, once she'd calmed down anyway. She vaguely remembered Rei telling her the news the night before, then holding her while she wept. Usagi's family had arrived soon after, but she hadn't stopped. Not even when her knees gave out and her bratty little brother had embraced her like his life depended on it. Not even when her parents promised everything would be okay.

She wondered what Rei and the others had told her family. Certainly not the truth. Maybe something about Natsumi and Seijuurou? She'd have to ask someone later or else hope no one brought it up. How could she explain to anyone what she was really upset about?

Usagi grunted and turned her back to the window, unable to stare at the bleeding horizon any longer.

He was the only thing that kept her going, or maybe it was better to say Tuxedo Kamen kept Sailor Moon going. Tsukikage no Knight had been an acceptable substitute, but who did she have now? As much as she loved her friends, they weren't enough. She needed more. Sometimes she hated that about herself and other times she forgave this weakness, but her feelings about it didn't change anything. She found strength in wanting to impress him. She took comfort when she felt his arms around her. He was why she could hold her hand up high and shout the words without crumbling beneath their weight. _In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you._ She couldn't do that without him.

Usagi wasn't even sure she could be a normal girl without him anymore, much less a superhero.

Usagi sighed slightly, rubbing red-rimmed eyes. Her mother had suggested staying home that day, but for once, Usagi didn't want to. She knew she wouldn't sleep no matter how tired she was, and she couldn't stand lying there doing nothing anymore. She had to do something, even if it was just go to school as usual. Maybe she could forget about her loss for a little while.

Usagi quietly got up from her bed, making sure not to wake Luna. The cat had sat up with her for hours until Usagi convinced her that she was going to sleep. Luna hadn't made a peep since.

Usagi was careful to show the same consideration to her sleeping family, tip-toeing around the room and shutting her drawers as quietly as possible. Within ten minutes, Usagi was dressed, though she still looked dreadful.

She went downstairs and wandered into the kitchen, debating whether or not she wanted to eat. For once, Usagi didn't have an appetite, but she decided that she had better eat something anyway. She grabbed one of the muffins her mother had prepared several days before and nibbled on it while she packed her lunch.

When she was done, she looked up at the kitchen clock. It was way too early to go to school. But what else could she do?

She walked out of the kitchen, her pink lunch bag dangling from her fingers. She picked up her satchel filled with untouched homework and stepped into her shoes. She opened the door and stepped out into the grey morning.

And she started walking in the opposite direction of the school.

* * *

Motoki furiously polished the countertops at the arcade, his eyes anxiously flitting from the clock to the small television he'd secreted under the counter. Predictably, time did not move faster and the news did not become clearer. No news networks knew what was going on, or if they did, they were choosing to withhold the information.

Motoki swore and slapped his palms against the sparkling clean counter. Mamoru had told him he was going to that apartment complex, but Motoki had been on a rare long distance call from Reika all night. He hadn't heard about the accident until this morning. A quick inquiry with the hospital had reassured him Mamoru was alive if not necessarily well, but that did nothing to erase the heart-stopping minutes he'd spent certain Mamoru was dead.

Motoki stared at the images of the ravaged building and collapsed floors, wondering once again how _anyone_ could have survived that catastrophe.

"Got any super-sized donuts, Motoki?"

He glanced up hurriedly at the familiar voice, about to force himself to be chipper for her sake. Then he got a look at the dark shadows littering her face. He leaned over the counter and gently took her chin in his hand. "Minako! What happened to you?"

"Unless I'm hearing voices, I'm guessing you're watching the news about it," Minako murmured. "Listen, I appreciate the concern, but I kind of got a nasty bump there too, so would you mind…?"

"Oh!" Motoki gasped, pulling away. He really wasn't thinking straight that morning. "I'm sorry! I wasn't… I mean, I didn't… But you were there? At the building?"

Minako gestured at her visible bandages. "Not wearing these as a fashion statement."

"Christ," Motoki breathed. "I didn't realize… I mean, I knew Mamoru was there—"

Minako winced.

"He's okay, right? The hospital told me he was okay."

"Yes, yes, he's fine," Minako assured him, quelling his rising panic. "Sorry, I wasn't… something was throbbing is all." She reached into a hidden pocket in her skirt and pulled out a prescription bottle. "Could I get some water to go with that really big donut?"

"Of course! Certainly. Cinnamon twist?"

"Sounds divine."

"On the house," Motoki said before she could reach for her purse. "Well, on the house if you tell me what happened."

Minako glanced away. "I don't really want to talk about it, Motoki."

Motoki took a moment to marvel at his lack of social graces that day. "No, you don't… I just want to know what did that. Nobody will tell me anything, and I can't get in to see Mamoru until later today. So… you don't have to tell me much, but anything would help. Please." He placed the twist and the water in front of her. "It's on the house either way."

He expected her to smile at that, even sadly, but her mouth remained in a tense line. Motoki regretted saying anything to her, but on the other hand, he got the feeling he hadn't made a bit of difference in her mood.

"All of us were there," she explained softly. "Me, Usagi, and the other girls… and Mamoru, of course. Usagi and Mamoru were there before us; we didn't get there till later. So they definitely got the worst of it, but I promise, he's all right. Ami… she snuck into his room until he woke up."

Motoki blinked, raising both eyebrows. "Ami did that?"

"Her mom works at that hospital, so if she got caught, she wouldn't have gotten in trouble," Minako said. "I don't really know what they talked about. I think Ami just wanted to make sure he was coherent, you know? I think he wound up with a concussion."

Among other things, Motoki was sure. "What about you girls? I mean… you don't look great, Minako."

"You're lucky I'm not taking that the wrong way," Minako teased half-heartedly, shaking her bottle of Vicodin. "We all got off lucky compared to Mamoru. Usagi and I don't have anything specifically wrong, just a bunch of cuts and stuff. Makoto has bruised ribs I think, and Ami sprained her wrist. There's something wrong with Rei's ankle, too… I don't know if she twisted it or sprained it like Ami." She shrugged. "It could have been worse."

"No shit," Motoki muttered, forgetting Minako was only fourteen for a moment. "Should you really be going to school?"

Minako shrugged. "Not sure if I'm going or not. Just wanted to get out of the house. You know."

Motoki wanted to say that in her position, he wouldn't have emerged from his bed for anything short of the apocalypse. Something in her tone, however, made him think better of it, and he decided to avoid sticking his foot in his mouth for once.

Minako tore off a piece of her donut and nibbled on it. "Mind if I hang out here for a bit? Not talking about the apartment?"

Motoki smiled softly. "Sure thing." He paused. "Just… one more question."

She waited, prepared to indulge him a little more.

"Is it true there was really a giant tree?"

Finally, she almost smiled. "Ask Mamoru about that. He got up close and personal with the Big Bad."

Motoki shuddered at her flippancy, but agreed nonetheless. After a moment, she went back to her breakfast, and he went back to cleaning. They didn't say a word, letting the meaningless news reports fill in the silence.

* * *

Makoto knew it was Ami's nature to arrive early to school. Both of them were early birds, and while Ami often put the extra bit of wakefulness towards her studies, Makoto generally preferred to spend time in her apartment, making her home even homier. Still, when Ami walked around the corner and saw Makoto waiting for her at the school gates, she didn't seem surprised.

"How are you feeling? Your ribs, I mean" Ami asked, forgoing pleasantries. She sounded exhausted, and Makoto wondered if Ami had managed to sleep at all the night before.

"Trying to stay ahead of the pain, like your mom said," Makoto murmured. "I'm not taking the Vicodin though. It makes me too light-headed."

Ami smiled grimly. "I know what you mean. I had to cheek it last night when Mama gave it to me."

Makoto's eyebrows arched. "Aren't you full of surprises?"

Ami flushed, shrugging slightly. "Well, in case anything were to happen… I wouldn't want to be useless."

"No kidding." Makoto's jaw tightened. She didn't like this conversation, but then what had she expected? She hadn't wanted to talk to Ami about the weather. In fact, there seemed to be no point it putting it off any longer. It was just like ripping off a bandage. "Have you heard from her at all?"

Ami winced. There was no need to identify who 'her' was. "No. Then I'm not sure she would have called me anyway."

"You more than the rest of us," Makoto insisted. "After all, you're the only one who… who actually saw him."

Ami still looked pained, as if Makoto had pinched an old bruise. "I'm also the bearer of bad news. I'm the one who told her… who told her…."

In reality, it had been Rei who said it, but Makoto doubted saying so would have made much of a difference. She reached out and grabbed Ami's injured wrist, holding it gently. "She doesn't blame you. She couldn't."

"I know that," Ami muttered, staring at their hands.

"So why are you acting like she would?"

Ami's body physically curled away from the question, an evasion without completely fleeing. Makoto kept holding on, taking care not to cause any pain, but making it clear that she wasn't going anywhere.

"I didn't do my job," Ami admitted finally.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm supposed to be the one who knows things... I read the data and discern the most likely conclusion. Give me a puzzle, and I don't see the pieces individually. I see them as parts of a whole, and I can put them together to get the picture."

Makoto hesitated before saying, "You're losing me, Ami. What does this have to do with—"

"She asked me if he would be okay," Ami croaked. "I told her that he would be, and I was wrong."

Makoto exhaled, realizing at last what the issue was. She'd been concerned about Ami's reaction the day before, or at least she had become anxious when she'd had time to think about it. They were all upset, all of them saddened at the loss of a potential ally, but Ami's visceral response hadn't made sense to her. Now it did.

"It's not your fault," Makoto informed her brusquely. "You can't think it is."

Ami shook her head. "I should have prepared her for the possibility—"

"You honestly think you could have burst that optimistic bubble?" Makoto interrupted. "Minako angsting in a corner didn't do it; Rei being gentle didn't do it. What makes you think logic could have penetrated that?"

"Then I shouldn't have said anything," Ami maintained. "I should have just said I didn't know and left it at that."

"As if she would have let you," Makoto reasoned. "You're right. You are the one we depend on to have answers, and that probably isn't fair. She would have pressed you until you said one way or the other, but it wouldn't have made a difference. She was sure she'd have him back."

"I was sure, too," Ami murmured. "I thought… I thought he'd remember, and I was wrong."

Makoto smiled, a little pitying. "You can't be right all the time. That would be too easy."

"It's not easy either way, right or wrong."

Makoto shrugged. "If it was, I'd be the brains instead of the brawn. Trust me, kicking butt is way less complex than what you do. And more fun."

Ami almost smiled at that. "It can be fun."

"Says the crazy genius girl," Makoto teased, gently dropping Ami's hand.

Ami ignored the jibe, but she looked lighter than she had a moment ago. Makoto felt relieved, and a little proud. Ami wasn't the only one who saw herself as a problem-solver. Makoto just had access to a different set of puzzles.

"Do you think she'll come today?" Ami asked.

"No idea," Makoto yawned. "I only came because I knew you would."

"Am I that predictable?"

"If the apocalypse were hours away, and you had a test, I would have to physically drag you away," Makoto deadpanned, preparing to enter the building.

She stopped short when she saw Haruna, Usagi's teacher. And also Natsumi's. An's.

"Do you think she knows?" Ami asked, stepping beside Makoto. "Where they lived? It was all over the news last night."

Makoto hadn't turned on the television. "What did they say? Gas explosion?"

"They didn't even pretend to have an explanation. I think they're starting to realize that people aren't believing them, so saying nothing is actually a watchword for… well, our business."

"As long as they don't get in the way, I don't care what they say," Makoto sighed. "So I guess we have to tell her… something."

"My mother kept saying it was a miracle we survived," Ami pointed out. "Even though she didn't know what happened, not really."

Makoto frowned. "So what you're saying is… they didn't."

Ami took a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Told you it's not easy if you know the answers."

Makoto nodded, straightening her skirt. "It's never easy. No matter what."

Then they moved forward, matching each other's stride, and prepared to break the news about the deaths of Natsumi and Seijuurou Ginga.

* * *

Mamoru hated hospitals.

Well, that wasn't precisely true. It wouldn't have made much sense for a future doctor to hate the place he was most likely to work. But it was true that he hated being a patient in the hospital. He'd spent entirely too much of his childhood lying in bed, being slowly brought back to health after nearly losing his life.

Though on his darker days, he often reflected he'd lost his life anyway. He'd certainly lost his identity, his memories. When the car had gone off the cliff, a little boy had died and another one had been born in his place. He was a manifestation of one of the stories they'd told in the orphanage: a changeling. He had no idea why they'd told that story. It hadn't been the most appropriate setting, and he couldn't remember anyone being particularly cheered by it. _Oliver Twist_ had always been far more popular.

Mamoru shook his head, as if trying to knock something loose in his brain. The medication kept making his thoughts swirl into a mishmash of nonsensical emotion. His status as an orphan didn't matter. What mattered was that he was once again laid up in a hospital bed, a needle protruding from his arm, and pain radiating from the tips of his hair to his bone marrow.

On second thought, Mamoru really did hate hospitals. A private practice was starting to sound better by the minute. Though getting through residency was going to be a trial….

Mamoru banged his head against the pillow, acknowledging that the frustration was futile. "Pathetic."

"I wouldn't say that. You know, some of the nurses are saying that you're the cutest patient they've had in a while," a cheerful voice announced from the doorway. "I don't know what they see in you."

Mamoru grinned and turned on his side, wincing with effort. "What? You don't go for tall, dark, and lacerated?"

"They think it makes you look rugged," Motoki informed him solemnly. "I disagree. I think it makes you look like shit."

"Don't feel the need to pull your punches. Tell me how you really feel," Mamoru quipped. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the crystal vase Motoki held in his hand, filled to the brim with a dozen red roses. "And what did they say when they saw you bringing me that?"

Motoki shrugged and strode deeper into the room. "There was too much giggling for me to make it out, but I think I heard something about 'forbidden love.'" He set the vase down on the bedside table and added, "So I imagine now you're even more desirable."

"Thanks so much," Mamoru drawled.

"Anytime," Motoki answered, his smile just a bit too wide. Motoki was often alarmingly upbeat, but even Mamoru could tell it was taking a lot of effort for him to stay positive. After catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror that morning, Mamoru didn't blame him.

"Thanks for coming," Mamoru murmured. "Really."

"As if you'd have let me hear the end if it if I hadn't," Motoki teased. "You'd have come into the arcade every day, sighing dramatically, ordering large chocolate shakes to ease your wounded soul."

Mamoru coughed. "I think my soul's the only part of me not wounded."

"I don't know. Your pinky looks all right." Motoki's smile faded. "Seriously, Mamoru. What happened?"

Mamoru shaded his eyes. "Oh, you know. Usual alien insanity."

"There's a rumor about a giant tree."

"Usual alien insanity and a giant tree."

Motoki gaped. "Jesus. I can't believe that's actually true! You know, the news isn't saying anything. They just keep saying it was an accident, though they won't say what kind."

Mamoru frowned. "What are they saying about… casualties?"

Motoki closed his eyes and recited, "We are very sorry, but we cannot report on whether or not anyone was hurt in this terrible accident. Please forgive us for this, but we cannot release information about that at this time."

"Glued to the TV I see."

"Well, yeah," Motoki snapped, a little put out. "When you hear your best friend was practically eaten by a tree—"

"It didn't try to eat me."

"—you kind of want information on what the hell happened to him."

Mamoru glanced away, chastened. "You were worried about me."

"When am I not worried about you?" Motoki asked, dropping into a nearby chair. "You're always ending up in the middle of these things. The virtual reality game center, the Snow White play, those other days that end in 'day.'"

"Apparently the great evil is attracted to tall, dark, and lacerated." Suddenly, his stomach twisted in a knot. An had indeed been attracted to him, and that was exactly how he'd landed in the latest particular mess, if not all the others. But the sickness seemed more profound than that, like his body was trying to tell him something.

He choked down a mouthful of bile and waved off Motoki's latest concern. "It's nothing. Crappy hospital food."

"Right," Motoki answered, clearly unconvinced. "So. You have nothing else to say for yourself?"

"About?"

"About how you always end up in these messes."

Mamoru arched an eyebrow. "What? Are you suggesting I moonlight as Sailor Moon?"

"Please, like you have the legs for that skirt."

"Motoki, I am fully prepared to throw up on you if you say anything like that again."

"I'm going into pediatrics. I'll have to get used to it some time," Motoki retorted. "But seriously, you don't like… go looking for trouble, do you? Because that's not okay. You realize that's not okay?"

Mamoru would have laughed if his ribs hadn't ached so much. "I'm sorry. Are you suggesting I'm some kind of vigilante superhero? Like that weird guy who looked like he's watched _Arabian Nights_ too many times?"

Motoki frowned. "Yeah, that doesn't seem like your style. There was a guy with a tuxedo before though."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Wait, are you saying you don't remember him?"

"No, I'm just asking stupid questions to irritate you. Do I have reason to remember him?"

Motoki scratched his head. "Well, you went after a plushie of him in the crane game a few months ago."

Mamoru deadpanned, "So your evidence is that you're stalking me."

Motoki blushed. "You just don't normally play the crane game, so I remembered it! Don't look at me like that."

"Just wondering if there's something to that 'forbidden love' nonsense the nurses are on about."

"No way," Motoki insisted. "Reika and I already talked. If we ever break up, she has first dibs on you."

Mamoru glared. "I hate you a little bit."

"Eh, you're just bitter because you really would look terrible in the Sailor Suit," Motoki dismissed.

"And you'd fill it out beautifully."

Motoki shrugged.

"Remind me to hit you later."

"Noted. But let's be honest, it'll be a while before you can take me."

"Please. I could—" Mamoru cut himself off in a coughing fit. He kept trying to get air, but his throat spasmed again and again, preventing him from taking a full breath. He sensed Motoki hovering and tried to wave him away, but his arms didn't seem to want to cooperate. Suddenly, Motoki thumped him on the back, hard, shocking him into inhaling sharply. After a minute or so, the coughing more or less subsided.

Once he settled back down, Mamoru turned weakly to Motoki. "Nice. Way to hit the injured guy."

Motoki sighed, well on his way to fretting. "I didn't know what else to do! Should they have you on oxygen? Should I tell them to put you on oxygen?"

"Because of course they'll listen to the best-friend/forbidden lover."

"I'm serious!" Motoki snapped furiously. "If you're not breathing well on your own—"

"I'm fine. It's the first time that's happened. Honestly."

Motoki was clearly not convinced. "Well, I'm telling the nurses about it when I leave. Don't think you can talk me out of it."

"Fine, fine," Mamoru said. "But, umm… back to the 'giant tree' incident. You said that the news hadn't said anything. Have you… have you heard from the girls?"

Motoki gave him a knowing look Mamoru was at a loss to interpret. "Actually, yes. Minako stopped by this morning. She was dressed for school, but I bet she was going to ditch. Hope she was anyway. She looked like she'd been on a field trip to hell."

"What did she say?"

"Not much," Motoki admitted. "She was… in a bad mood. Which was weird. I've never seen her not smiling before. I didn't really know how to handle it.

"Anyway, it seems Makoto hurt her ribs, and Rei and Ami sprained their ankle and wrist respectively. Minako was vague about her own injuries, but I'm guessing there were some stitches in there."

Mamoru ignored this missive and fiddled with one of his bandages. "And Usagi?"

Motoki gave him that knowing look again.

"Okay. What is it?"

Motoki shrugged, exaggerating. "You just seem interested in Usagi."

Mamoru glared. "Motoki. The tree had me in one… branch and Usagi in another. We survived a situation that could have easily killed us both, so yes, I'm interested in how she is."

Motoki had the grace to look chagrined, but he pressed on. "You know that's not what I meant."

Mamoru made a note to kick Motoki in addition to punching him. "We are not discussing this again."

"Oh, did we discuss it before? 'Cause you see, I remember me trying to discuss it with you, and then you brushing me off. Which is not actually how conversation works."

"As you've explained to me," Mamoru grumbled. "Listen, I know what you're getting at, and no. No. A thousand times no."

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"You realize that's not actually what the quote means, right?"

"Context works."

Mamoru groaned, pounding his fists against the bed. "Motoki, I mean it. I am not interested in her, not in the way you mean. Now will you please tell me if she's okay? I'm worried about her, and your evasiveness is not helping."

Now Motoki looked truly regretful. He glanced away, unable to hold Mamoru's gaze. Mamoru would have liked to be sorry, but he was in no mood for Motoki to play matchmaker.

"She's fine," Motoki assured him quietly. "Minako said she got a good beating and blacked out before the Sailor Senshi showed up, but she's okay. Not even in the hospital."

Mamoru grinned appreciatively. "Knew she was tougher than she looks."

"Oh, is that why you pull her pigtails all the time? To teach her a lesson about her strength of character?"

Apparently, Motoki did not know when to quit. "Okay, fine. Since you have me pinned to a bed and are determined to go here, let me make this clear: I do not, will not, and never have had feelings for Usagi."

Motoki just stared.

"I don't! I… All right, she's cute. I acknowledge that she is cute, but that doesn't mean I have a crush on her."

"You pay an awful lot of attention to her for someone who doesn't have a crush," Motoki pointed out.

Mamoru scowled to cover up his own confusion at this. Motoki wasn't wrong; Mamoru did notice Usagi. She was impossible to ignore. Of course, when you considered that she was usually tripping over him or grabbing his arm on the street, he could hardly be blamed for that. Nevertheless, when she walked into the arcade, even if she was silent, Mamoru knew it was her who had come in. She and her friends were the first people he had thought of to replace the actors for the _Snow White_ play. There had been other people he could have asked, and he rationalized that Usagi and the girls were probably the only ones gullible enough to say yes, but still. Usagi was on his mind quite a bit.

"Try and think of it like this," Mamoru said softly. "It's like… I really don't have any romantic attachment. Don't give me that look. I know you think I'm emotionally retarded, but I'm self-aware enough to know when I like someone that way. Like with Rei… she was a little grating, but there was some kind of a spark there, or I wouldn't have put up with it. Granted, it led to nothing but…"

"I think you're looking for a point somewhere in there," Motoki advised, not unkindly.

"Meds are doing a number on me," Mamoru explained. "The point is I didn't just hang around Rei because I was confused. I did like her, just not as much as she liked me. And that's how I know Usagi and I… we're not supposed to be like that. I just… I want to watch out for her. Protect her. I'm aware that that sounds weird and ridiculous, but it's almost like…

"It's almost like she's my little sister."

* * *

Luna admitted that she was more than a little protective of her charge. There wasn't a concrete reason for her to go to the school to check on Usagi, but she definitely wanted to. She remembered Usagi had woken up early to go to school, a worrisome act in and of itself. So around lunch time, Luna made her way to the school grounds and trotted over to the tree Makoto, Ami, and Usagi usually had lunch underneath.

She saw Ami and Makoto. No Usagi.

Luna's stomach lurched, and she galloped forward, darting around the legs of students flirting and playing Frisbee. She reached the pair shortly, panting furiously.

Both Ami and Makoto were instantly on edge.

"What's wrong?"

"Has there been an attack?"

Luna ignored them. "Where's Usagi?"

They both stared at her. Then they looked at each other in confusion.

"Did Usagi ever make it to class?" Makoto questioned. "You hadn't said."

"No," Ami insisted. "I haven't seen her all day."

"Are you sure?" Luna pressed, aware that it was a stupid question.

"Luna, I thought Usagi would surely stay home today," Ami admitted. "Possibly visit Mamoru if she felt up to it. When she didn't show up, I didn't think anything of it."

"But if you're here," Makoto murmured, "Usagi didn't stay home."

Luna shook her head. "No. She left early. I assumed she couldn't sleep and hoped to talk to you girls before class. I just came by to make sure everything was all right."

Ami chewed on her lips nervously. "Where could she have gone if not here?"

"Mamoru?" Makoto asked.

"I doubt it," Luna dismissed. "You didn't see her after the hospital. She never seemed to calm down. She got quieter, but not… not better. She's absolutely shattered that he doesn't remember. I don't think she's ready to face him. It might not have even occurred to her."

Makoto nodded brusquely. "I'm calling her then."

She pulled her pink communicator out and pressed in the key to call Usagi. Luna held her breath, waiting to hear Usagi's staticy voice coming from the speakers. But several seconds passed and nothing happened.

Makoto looked at them both, now just as concerned as Luna. "She's not answering."

"Let me try," Ami offered, though it was clear she doubted the results would be any different. After a few more attempts from each of them, it was clear that for whatever reason, Usagi wasn't going to answer her communicator.

"That girl!" Luna spat, her back arching. "She must know how worried we all are… to cut off all contact at a time like this."

Ami worried at her lip more. Luna was sure it would start to bleed soon. "Do you think she's in danger?"

"Another enemy?" Makoto asked, her enthusiasm for fighting dampened for once.

"I certainly hope not," Luna answered. Indeed, it hadn't occurred to her. "I'm more concerned about what Usagi will do on her own."

Ami and Makoto blanched.

"You don't think…" Makoto began.

"That she'd hurt herself?" Ami finished, gearing up to a full-fledged panic.

Luna sighed. "I honestly don't know. I've never seen her like this! Even when Mamoru was taken by the Dark Kingdom, she was able to stay positive. It's like… this was the last straw. I'm sure with time and our support she'd be all right, but if she won't talk to us—"

Makoto nodded, taking charge in a situation where both Ami and Luna were clearly inept. "I think we should call Minako and Rei. If I know Minako, she didn't go to school, so she can look around the usual haunts. If Rei's home, she can look in the fire."

"Or maybe Usagi would answer Rei," Ami added helpfully.

"Maybe," Luna agreed. She turned, glancing over her shoulder. "You girls do that. I'll start searching on my own. Tell Minako to send Artemis off on his own if he's with her. I'll stop by her house to tell him myself just in case. If we work together, we can find her."

Ami and Makoto bobbed their heads in tandem and then bent over their communicators to call their respective Senshi. Luna took off again like a shot, leaping and clawing her way up a tree near the gate and vaulting over the side. Then she ran through the streets, glancing left and right for a familiar pair of gold pigtails.

Chances were good Luna was overreacting. Usagi might have fallen asleep somewhere or hadn't heard her communicator. Maybe she was at the movies or in a public place where she couldn't get to it. There were a hundred reasons why Usagi hadn't answered.

But Luna always feared the worst and prepared for it. That's how she kept it from happening.

* * *

Rei had been awoken by Ami's call in the middle of the afternoon. She hadn't meant to sleep so late – in point of fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept past six in the morning regardless of how late she'd been up fighting the night before. It seemed Yuuichirou and her grandfather had conspired to keep her in bed after the tree incident the day before. But no amount of covering her windows or stealing her alarm clock could keep her asleep once her communicator rang.

Once Ami finished briefing her, Rei tossed the covers off her legs and rose from her futon. She doubted Usagi would be any more likely to answer a call from her, and if she wasn't capable of answering… Well, Rei knew the fire would be a much simpler way of locating the girl.

Frantic as she was, Rei put weight on her bad ankle out of habit. She swore loudly and regretted it almost immediately. A second later, her door slid open with a bang. Her grandfather was there, scowling, as if he'd been waiting for this.

"Get back in bed."

Rei rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this. "Grandpa, I'm fine."

"Oh, your ankle is usually the size and color of a bowling ball, is it?"

"The day is almost gone! My chores—"

"Yuuichirou is taking care of them," he assured her, as if this would alleviate her feigned concerns.

"So then I'll have to fix everything he's done wrong."

"I've already done that."

"Then why did you have him do anything to begin with?" Rei demanded.

Her grandfather sighed. "Anything to keep him from hovering over you. Honestly, he's like an old woman sometimes."

Despite her frustration, Rei couldn't help but smile at that. Yuuichirou could be an idiot, but he did care. He'd been frantic when he finally got the message about Rei's hospital stay and undoubtedly would have carried her grandfather to the emergency room on his back if it had been faster than his car.

Her grandfather pointed firmly at her bed. "Now get off your feet before you hurt yourself again!"

Rei limped past the smaller priest, gently pushing him from her path. "Fine. I won't do chores. But I need to eat, don't I?"

"I can bring you breakfast," he insisted, stepping in front of her again.

Rei was on the verge of tearing her hair out. "_Okay_. But at least let me meditate. You know I feel scattered unless I start my day in front of the fire. Granted, the day started without me, but—"

Her grandfather sighed loudly, just to let her know how unhappy he was with this plan. "I suppose you're right. It's important for you to maintain your center through meditation." He turned and toddled away, ostensibly to fetch her breakfast for later. "Kami help us if you were even more bad-tempered!"

Normally, Rei would have snapped at him for that, but she didn't have time. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Rei half-jogged/half-hopped to the fire room. Sheer luck kept Yuuichirou from finding her, who she was sure would be even more difficult to placate.

Once she reached the sacred fire, she slid the door shut behind her. For a moment, she despaired that one couldn't actually lock a screen door. Then she stepped farther into the room and knelt before the fire. Although she was in a rush, she knew better than to hurry the process. She began reciting her mantra, getting lost in it and clearing her mind of all extraneous thoughts. She thought only of Usagi, knowing that the fire was unlikely to give her exact coordinates. She just needed to make sure Usagi wasn't in immediate danger.

"Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, zai, zen. Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, zai, zen. Rin, Pyo, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, zai, zen."

Suddenly, her eyes flew open instinctively as she felt the fire lick at her inner sight.

There, within the flames that could not lie, she saw it. A golden crescent moon, the symbol of the ancient monarchy and her missing friend. Then an inverted, black moon superimposed itself over the familiar image. They faded in and out, one dominating the other at all times, the war between them seeming endless.

Then it stopped with dark overshadowing light. The golden crescent tarnished and turned that same cold, empty ebony. A moment later, there were no longer two moons. Just one, as dark and deep as a shadow.

Rei blinked and the vision was gone.

She stared, shaking and drenched in sweat. She had no idea what it meant, couldn't have known. But she was also certain that it couldn't be good.

Rei slammed her fists against the floorboards and struggled to her feet. She pulled her communicator from her pajama pants pocket and called her three friends, desperate to tell them what she had seen. It didn't matter if the fire was telling her of current events of future. They had to find Usagi immediately.

* * *

Long after the battle with the Makaiju had ended, long after the building had been abandoned by those that had waged it, the apartment complex that had been the scene of the crime swarmed with activity. The press demanded to know what had happened and were told nothing. The fire department struggled to determine what had happened and could find nothing, and so the press knew nothing either. Men and women in black suits and dark glasses picked through the debris, searching for clues as to what they thought had happened. If they found anything, they didn't say. They weren't allowed.

Undoubtedly, hundreds of people picked through the wreckage in the hours since the attack. They searched for more survivors, and found none, but they also found no dead. Although there were reports that two teenagers had been living in the penthouse of an otherwise empty building, they found no trace of them. Later, when people would attempt to track down the Ginga family, who supposedly owned the building, they would uncover a paper trail that led to nowhere, as if they and the brother and sister had never existed.

Finally, the rescue teams determined there was no one to be rescued, the government agents packed up their equipment with their stone faces and closed mouths, and the press moved on to other stories. After hours of constant activity, the building was finally abandoned.

Only then did Tsukino Usagi step out of the shadows.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES – 03/27/11

Wow, I did not mean for this to take so long. I actually didn't think there was that much to do with this chapter. Then I read it and realized how wrong I was. Changing tiny things in the first chapter had larger ramifications in this one. And axing entire scenes in this meant I had to make up for it by writing entirely new ones I wasn't expecting to need. So yay for ripple effects.

Well, I sincerely hope I don't run into these problems next chapter. If memory serves, it'll be a bit tighter than this one was, so hopefully, I can get the revision out before the end of the month. Either way, I apologize, but it looks like this'll be slower than I thought. :/ I hope you won't have to wait too long for new material though! I'll do my best!

Next - Part Three: Unraveling


	3. Unraveling

Forgotten Forever  
by Kihin Ranno  
3/26  
R

Revised as of 3/30/11

If anyone had been there to ask why she wanted to revisit the wrecked Odyssey Apartment Complex, Usagi would not have had an answer. Turning away from Juuban Middle School had not been a conscious decision on her part. Her feet had seemed to act of their own accord, and either through intuitive acquiescence or sheer exhaustion, she had not questioned her direction. When she arrived at her destination, realizing it only when she got there, waiting had been a natural course of action. She couldn't very well reveal herself to any authorities without subjecting herself to questions she could not or would not answer.

Now she was all alone, staring up at the ruins of what had once been a pristine construction. A good portion of the roof had caved in, and the rest did not look too far behind. Much of the building's masonry had fallen away, forming a gaping yaw as monstrous as the Makaiju's wrath. Steel framework now exposed itself to the elements while countless wires hung from cracked ceilings like listless snakes. Yellow tape crisscrossed every conceivable entrance to the building, a warning that felt more like prison bars, trying to cage a monster that was no longer there.

Jailed or no, the building was unguarded. Usagi could not have articulated why she needed to be there, but the reasons didn't matter to her. She had to get inside.

Usagi jogged across the empty street, briefcase thumping against her legs with every stride. She carefully ducked beneath the tape nearest the front entrance. The sliding glass doors were gone, remembered only by dust and shards. Mindful of the thin soles of her shoes, Usagi stepped inside.

The lobby alone was a disaster area. While waiting to hear about Mamoru the night before, Rei and Makoto had told her about getting past the Makaiju's branches to get to her. Even after seeing the tree in action, Usagi could hardly believe the damage it had caused. It looked as though a bomb had went off. Cracks littered the walls, mirrors were shattered and strewn about, and the floor was littered with evidence of the tree's deadly acid. It was a miracle any of them had survived.

Shivering, Usagi turned towards the staircase, remembering that the elevators were a lost cause. She moved forward, realizing what her body already seemed to know. It wasn't just the apartment complex she longed for; she needed to make her way to the roof. The place where she, as Sailor Moon, had finally told Mamoru that she was in love with him. The place where she had failed to get him back.

Usagi began to ascend the countless flights of stairs, avoiding the more treacherous areas. At first, she made her way cautiously, but soon, her anxiety got the better of her. She needed to reach the site of the battle, and she had too far to go to waste time. She started hurrying, nearly slipping as stairs crumbled beneath her. The first time she encountered a hole too wide to step around, she abandoned her briefcase; instead, she grasped both handrails and hoisted herself over the danger. The higher she climbed, the more dangerous it became, and the more desperate she was to reach her goal.

Finally, she miscalculated. She placed her weight on a spot that was too weak to hold it, and the step gave way. She shrieked as the world tilted out from underneath her and tumbled forward. She reached out to grab at something, missing the handrail by an inch. She plummeted down half a flight, crashing into the wall when she reached the landing.

She wanted to get up. She wanted to keep running. She wanted to reach the top of the building and….

What then?

There was no monster in the cage, no great evil to defeat. She was the victim of circumstance, not an evil queen from the past or aliens from another world. Transforming would bring her no aid. There was no demon to vanquish, no corruption to purify. There were no answers in the open air.

Usagi let out a strangled sob. She covered her mouth as if to quash it, but the sound leaked out from around her fingers. Her body shook, sorrow welling up from the darkest parts of her.

All of her efforts were completely pointless.

She moaned aloud, drawing her scraped knees up to her chest. Every bone in her body hurt, and she ached even deeper than that. She was in a building on the brink of collapse with no cause or purpose. And she was alone. Again, she was alone.

All she wanted was him, but instead, she was alone.

* * *

Elsewhere, the four part army that protected Tokyo continued to assemble. Seconds after Rei had opted to contact her three comrades, they answered, each expectant but grim.

"Did you reach her?" Ami asked, apparently the most optimistic.

"Not exactly," Rei answered, limping through the halls of the Hikawa Shrine. "Not at all, actually, but I had a vision."

Grimly, Makoto said, "I don't suppose it was a map pin-pointing her exact location?"

"I'm not sure what I saw," Rei admitted, hating that her sight wasn't clear enough to see through the riddles. "It was about Usagi, but…." She shut her eyes, realizing there was no sense in pulling her punches. "I think it might have been a new enemy."

The news clearly rocked them all; Rei was still reeling from the notion. They had only just defeated their last opponent. Did they have to go to war again so soon?

Minako was the first to recover. "What did you see?"

"It'll take too long to explain," Rei hissed. "The point is that there might be a new evil in town, and none of us can reach Usagi."

Ami paled. "You don't think—"

"I don't _know_," Rei groaned, slamming the screen to her bedroom shut. "Do you want to take the chance?"

Silence was answer enough.

"We have to find her," Rei emphasized, aware that she was all but issuing an order. "Now."

* * *

High above the earth, a spacecraft loomed like something out of a science-fiction novel, cloaked by an amalgamation of magic and technology that would not be discovered for centuries to come. It was not the flying saucers featured so prominently in the missives of the paranoid and the hopeful. The craft was not round at all, instead featuring countless sharp spines jutting out from its center. It looked like a star had exploded at the height of its combustion and had crystalized into something like black jade. It bore no name, but its silhouette conjured plenty of possibilities: Sinister, Destroyer, Ebony Dawn.

Inside, floating amidst criss-crossing arcs of multicolored light, was a platform. It floated on a skewed axis above a grey void. In the center, of all things, hung five full-length mirrors, complete with vanities in four cases.

Four sisters, bound by blood and malice, stood before their respective mirrors, all involved in various stages of getting made up. Every now and again, one of them would glance back at the unoccupied mirror, an expectant look on her face. Each time, they were unrewarded. It remained empty.

The youngest, dressed entirely in pink and purple, nervously fiddled with her appearance despite the fact that there was nothing more to be improved. Of all of them, she was clearly the most concerned, and the least likely to tear her eyes away from the center mirror.

Karaberas stopped brushing her hair, exhausted by her sister's fretting. "Pining for Master Rubeus, Cooan?"

Cooan started and met the brunette's cruel gaze in the mirror. She scowled, taking care to make sure the expression didn't make her entirely unattractive. "Shut up, Karaberas."

"Temper, temper," she chided. "Mustn't have a tantrum."

Cooan hissed, but before she could respond, Petz, the eldest, intervened. "Karaberas, stop instigating."

"I'll stop instigating when you two stop wearing feathers." Karaberas wrinkled her nose. "Tacky."

The palest of the four, Beruche, sighed loudly. "Much as I would love to participate in your endless squabbles, I would like to point out that Cooan's concern for Master Rubeus isn't unnatural. It might do for you to worry as well, Karaberas. He's been gone for a long time."

Karaberas shrugged and returned to her hair. "Why should I bother myself with Master Rubeus's problems?"

Petz pulled on her forest green glove, making a fist once it was secure. "Probably because they're likely to be yours soon enough. We're not here on a pleasure cruise."

"I should hope not," Karaberas murmured. "The 20th century would be a vulgar destination."

"Can't you take anything seriously?" Petz snapped.

Karaberas smirked. "Why? It's so much more fun to bait you."

Petz was clearly on the verge of starting what would surely have become a legendary cat fight, which Beruche was in no mood to witness. Once upon a time, it might have been amusing, but after watching the same scene a hundred times, it just got too predictable.

"Is this how it's going to be for this whole mission?" Beruche asked. "I'll have to be especially productive just to get away from you two."

"How is that different from our other missions?" Cooan muttered.

Beruche nodded. "Too true."

Petz glowered at the pair as if they were to blame for an entire nation's unrest. "It's not my fault she's so flippant and lazy at every turn!"

Karaberas rolled her eyes. "And it's not my fault you're in desperate need of a truly excellent lay."

Petz snarled while Beruche held her head in her hands.

Karaberas grinned, white teeth glinting like knives. "Though apparently not as much as Cooan."

Stretched beyond her limits, Cooan let out a wordless scream and threw her compact at Karaberas's head.

At that precise moment, the surface of the fifth mirror rippled, and the man they had all been waiting for stepped out. He arched one eyebrow, at the sight of the projectile, then snatched it out of thin air. His eyes flitted over to a furiously blushing Cooan, frozen in shame.

"Cooan, stop behaving like a child." He seemed to carelessly toss the makeup back to her, but it clearly took Cooan some effort to catch.

She inclined her head, jaw clenched as she bid it not to tremble. "Forgive me, Master Rubeus."

"I have little choice," he replied with a dismissive sigh. He turned to the four women, raking one hand through his fiery hair. "There's no going back without completing our mission. Which reminds me…

"We've received new orders."

* * *

Usagi had no idea how long she spent curled up, sobbing in the stairwell. Time neither flew nor froze; she was simply unaware of it or of anything else for that matter. In the end, the only thing that broke the spell was the sound of her name.

"Usagi!"

She glanced up slowly, wiping at her swollen eyes. She glanced down the stairs at the sound, but found she was nearly blinded by unspent tears. It took her a moment to bring her vision into focus, but when she did, she didn't even have the energy to muster surprise at who had found her. "Luna? What are you doing here?"

"I could say the same to you!" Luna called, picking her way through the debris with more grace than Usagi had managed. After a moment, the feline had finished her trek and arrived at Usagi's side. She placed both paws on her bloodied knee and levered herself up to look into Usagi's face. "Don't you realize how dangerous this is? You could have been killed or hurt! No one would have known you were here, and you don't have your communicator!"

Usagi rubbed at her aching temples. "Of course I have my communicator, Luna. It's in my bag."

"Which you abandoned some six flights ago."

"…Oh."

"We've been trying to get in touch with you for hours. Everyone's worried sick."

Usagi opened her mouth to ask why then promptly shut it. She'd been caught weeping in an abandoned building that was falling down around her. Clearly, there was reason to be concerned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare anyone."

"Too late for that," Luna sighed, less chiding than Usagi would have expected. "Usagi, really. Why did you come here?"

Usagi shrugged, laying one hand against Luna's smooth back. "I don't know. I thought… it seemed like something I should do, but then…. It was stupid. There's nothing for me here."

Luna kneaded her paws against Usagi's thigh. The pressure was painful, but oddly comforting. "Usagi… I wish there was something I could say to make this better. I realize you're disappointed – and I also realize that doesn't begin to cover how you feel – but you can't do things like this. You're not a self-destructive person."

Usagi nodded. "I know you're right. I can't… I shouldn't lose it like this, but I… I don't know what else to do." Pressure built up in Usagi's chest again, and despite the fact that she felt exhausted from emotion, she knew she would not be able to stem the tide. Her voice quavered. "I need him, Luna. I know I should be stronger, but I'm not. I need him to help me, to support me. I know you and Artemis and the girls are there for me all the time, but it's not the same. I love him, I told him I love him, and he still has no idea, not about anything, and I just… I can't do this. Not anymore."

She collapsed in on herself again, this time curling around Luna's small, lithe form, taking what comfort she could. Luna to her credit didn't say anything, knowing there wasn't anything to say. She purred and let Usagi hold on too tight, giving her some time.

It still didn't feel like enough when Luna said, "Usagi, I know you're hurting, but you need to answer your communicator. I can still hear it, and it's going off constantly."

Any other time, Usagi would have been impressed with her guardian's hearing. Now all she could do was nod dully and struggle to her feet. "Right. I know."

Luna clung to her shoulder, her claws digging into her blouse without breaking her skin. The pair of them carefully made their way back down, Luna spotting weak parts in the floor that Usagi would have missed completely. She arrived back at her briefcase much faster than she would have alone. She still didn't hear her communicator, not until she opened the bag and discovered the speaker had been buried beneath her lunch.

"Looks like Artemis and I need to finish the new designs," Luna drawled.

Usagi frowned, mildly curious, but let it go in favor of answering her communicator. She didn't even speak a greeting before shouting on the other line started.

"Usagi!" Makoto crowed, looking relieved and energized. "Are you all right? Are you hurt? We've been—"

"I know," Usagi murmured, finding it difficult to look at her screen. "Luna found me and explained. I… I'm really sorry. I didn't mean—"

Makoto shook her head rapidly. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're not in danger!"

Usagi found that to be a strange way to put things; Makoto couldn't have known where Usagi had gone. "What do you mean?"

Makoto flushed. "I- I just mean… I'm just glad you're okay, that's all. Listen, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you head towards Rei's? I'll call the others and let them know you're on your way and in one piece. Um, not that you wouldn't be, but you know, worrying. It's what we do."

Usagi was too tired and too upset to read anything into Makoto's behavior. "Sure. I'm not close though, so it'll be awhile."

"No problem. I'll explain. Err, and Usagi?"

"Hm?"

"I'll try to make sure Rei doesn't lecture you about this."

In spite of everything, this provoked a small smile. "Thanks."

"Any time. See you soon!"

Usagi ended the call and then glanced at Luna. "Any idea what that was about?"

"None," Luna confessed. "I'd say Rei does just want to lecture you, but… hmm. Well, I'll try to find Artemis and meet you there later. Will you be all right?"

Part of Usagi thought she wouldn't be, not ever again.

She said, "Yes."

* * *

After receiving word from Makoto that Usagi was not caught up in some strange battle or hurting herself in some inconceivably horrible way, Minako headed straight for the Hikawa Jinja. She arrived around the same time as Ami and Makoto, unsurprised to see the latter was still pleading with Rei not to attack Usagi the moment she walked in the door.

"I know, Rei," Makoto insisted, her tone suggesting she'd reiterated this several times before. "I'm just saying that jumping on her probably won't even register right now."

Rei's shouting was more or less reduced to static from what Minako could tell. After a few seconds of this, Makoto sighed, and cut the connection. She waved off Minako and Ami's surprise, saying, "She probably won't even notice until we walk in."

"Twenty minutes from now," Minako grumbled, staring at the endless stairs leading up to the shrine. "Why does she have to live on a hill?"

"Some kind of cosmic joke at our expense," Makoto decided. "You guys can go on ahead if you want. This will take me awhile." She gestured meaningfully at her ribs.

Impulsive as ever, an idea occurred to Minako the moment these words left her mouth. "I can stay with you."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." She turned to Ami. "You'd better hustle, though. You might have a better chance of talking Rei down."

Ami arched both eyebrows. "What on earth makes you think that?"

"Appeal to her logic?"

She scoffed, mildly affronted. "As if that's ever worked." She lifted her hand with a casual goodbye and began ascending the stairs faster than Minako could have managed with or without Makoto. "See you two in a bit."

"Good luck," Makoto called out. Then she glanced at Minako. "You realize of course there is no chance that any of us can get Rei to calm down."

"Didn't stop you from trying."

Makoto frowned. "Yeah. Apparently I like the feeling of ramming my head against a wall repeatedly." She rolled her shoulders, working out still more aches from the battle the day before, and added, "So what did you want to talk about?"

Minako straightened, automatically affecting an innocent countenance. "Who, me?"

"I have met you, Minako," Makoto teased. "You were too quick to offer to help. You should have challenged me to a race instead."

"And be responsible for another trip to the emergency room? No, thank you." She casually dodged Makoto's half-hearted swipe, but then let her spirits dip. Makoto was right. She did have something important she wanted to talk about. Despite Artemis's advice to keep her opinions to herself, Minako couldn't stop worrying about Usagi and Mamoru. The results of Tsukikage no Knight's botched healing and losing contact with Usagi had definitely done nothing to help matters.

Before Makoto could continue to press her, Minako admitted, "It's about Usagi."

"I figured that much."

Minako continued as if Makoto hadn't spoken. "I know that I'm not the thinker, but really, I've been thinking. And I don't know why I can't let this go, but... Actually, I do know why. It's who I am. I can't help but dwell on it, can I? It is my business after all. My duty, sort of. Not as important as the duty I have to Usagi, but important because of it. Maybe it is the most important because it involves both of them, and—"

"Minako," Makoto interrupted, holding up a palm. "You're doing that thing where you're talking, but you're not actually saying anything. Please start making sense and remember that I'm on pain medication."

There was nothing left to do but say it then. "Do you think maybe he really doesn't love her anymore?"

Makoto jerked to a stop, her whole body reacting to what Minako had said. She stared as if Minako had started speaking in tongues and temporarily seemed at a loss. Finally, she shouted, "What are you talking about, Minako? Of course he loves her! He just... He just doesn't remember it yet."

"But _why_doesn't he remember? You know as well as I do that he should."

"We don't know that," Makoto snapped.

"Even Ami said—"

"Ami can be wrong sometimes," Makoto asserted, convincing no one. "I know she said that… mathematically or whatever, he should have remembered, but the fact is, he didn't. And it doesn't really matter that it made sense 'in theory.' In theory, none of us should even be alive right now." She glared, her expression almost ugly. "Don't try and be logical, Minako. You aren't suited for it."

Minako stared at her companion for a moment, pained by the reaction. She didn't know what she'd been expecting. Understanding? How could anyone understand what she thought when she didn't even know why she felt this way? But she'd been hoping Makoto wouldn't yell at her; that had been foolish. They were too upset about what was going on not to lash out at one another.

"I wish I could explain it to you," Minako confessed, sagging in on herself. "Do you think I want to feel like this? I'd love for nothing more than to be certain that one day, Mamoru will hit his head and everything will come flooding back. I want him to play the prince and sweep her off her feet and give her everything he deserves, but…

"I get feelings about people," she murmured, self-conscious. "I'm not saying I'm psychic like Rei or that this is some kind of mystical truth. Maybe I can just read other people's intentions. But I can look at Yuuichirou and know that he would die for Rei and be sure that while she loves him as a friend, she'll never care for him the way he wants her to. I can listen to Motoki talk about Reika and know without having met her that they're perfect for each other and that he'll wait as long as it takes for her. So I know with every breath in my body that Usagi is to devoted Mamoru, that she needs him, that there's a kind of… desperate love there.

"But I feel absolutely nothing from him."

* * *

Usagi hadn't looked forward to going to Rei's, but she'd also seen no point in delaying the inevitable. No matter what Rei wanted to say to her, or the others for that matter, she was going to have to face the music. She didn't even drag her feet as she made her way up the stairs to the shrine, surprised to see Makoto and Minako stopped at one of the landings. She almost called out, when she saw the looks on their faces.

She stopped, and she listened.

"I know with every breath in my body that Usagi is to devoted Mamoru," Minako whispered, "that she needs him, that there's a kind of… desperate love there.

"But I feel absolutely nothing from him."

Usagi dropped her briefcase, the sound going off like a bomb.

Both Minako and Makoto jumped at the unexpected interruption, but only the former paled so horridly. The blonde looked like a ghost now that she was underneath Usagi's gaze, her hands covering her mouth as if she could push her words back inside. But there was no undoing it, no taking back what she'd said. It was in the open now, and there was no turning back.

"Minako…" Usagi murmured, thinking this was all more than she could take. "What… what do you mean?"

Makoto placed herself between them. "It doesn't matter. Minako's just tired. Don't pay—"

"No, I want to know," Usagi said, adamant. "Minako, what are you talking about? Why do you even… Are you saying you don't think he loves me?"

Minako looked sick. "I… I don't… Usagi, I didn't want you to—"

Later, Usagi would have no idea how she reached Minako so quickly. She would have no memory of making the decision or of what possessed her to behave in such away. All she would remember was the sound of skin impacting skin echoing across the courtyard.

Minako cradled her chin, blue eyes wide. Makoto gasped. Usagi's hand hurt, and it took her a moment to figure out why.

She'd slapped Minako across the mouth.

"Usagi!" Makoto cried.

She ought to have apologized. Intellectually, Usagi knew that hurting other people was wrong, but it didn't register emotionally. Minako had hurt her worse than another slap, suggesting what she had. In a sick way, her actions made sense, were justified.

"How dare you?" Usagi asked, more wounded than furious. "How can you say something like that? How can you… What do you even know about it? You don't have my memories. You're not me. You know nothing about what he and I have been through. Have you ever even _talked_to him? So how can you possibly have any idea what he feels about me?

"I know," Usagi hissed. "And he does too, deep down. Don't you ever forget that." Then she spun on her heel, running up the stairs. Makoto called out after her, and she could hear the brunette rushing to catch up with her, but Usagi didn't slow down. She had to get away from Minako and her words, her unexpected betrayal. She was on the verge of tears again, but she choked them down.

Minako was her friend, her Senshi sister, one of her greatest protectors.

But Usagi didn't know how she would ever forgive Minako for what she had done.

* * *

A woman bedecked in sailor fuku stood alone, ever watchful and wary. Had anyone been there to gaze upon her, they would have noted her hunter green hair as it moved in the windless world, touched by unseen hands. Garnet eyes narrowed, unkissed lips tightly pursed, and gloved hands gripped a staff so tightly that her fingers ached.

Clearly, Sailor Pluto was not pleased.

The fabric of time had begun to spiral out of control. Things had changed. Necessary events had not come to pass, and new ones took their place. Time was imbalanced, and perhaps the scales could not be corrected this time.

Normally, she would have restored the timeline to its original course. However, this time Sailor Pluto realized that she could do nothing but stand idly by. After all, she could not fix the mess that she had intentionally created, no matter how she regretted her decision.

She had broken her vows and interfered with the time stream. She ought to have been struck down for this transgression, but she had not. Somehow, she had known this from the start. Some benevolent spirit had stayed the tide of death, or perhaps a crueler one had decided to force her to watch the wrong she had done spiral beyond her control. Regardless, she was there, but impotent.

Sailor Pluto was disgusted with herself. She was not a woman prone to weakness. She had never been swayed by any amount of human emotion. It was her job to allow things to play out as they would despite the blood that would be split, the hearts that would be broken. Her happiness did not matter. The happiness of others, no matter how much they deserved it, mattered less. History had to remain as it would be written. There was no way around that.

Until she dipped her hand in. The ripple effects of her alteration were being felt all throughout time, just as she had predicted. She just hadn't realized just what would happen, had not anticipated that it wound her through her loved ones. She ought to have known better. Fate was cruel and bitter, and constantly railing against Time.

She was being punished, and justly so, all for the love of one man.

"Daughter," boomed a voice distant and echoing endlessly in her eardrums.

Pluto froze. Another probability she should have taken into account. Of course He would come when she least desired His presence. She inclined her head out of habitual respect. "Father."

"You have shamed me, daughter." His voice echoed with the power of the ages. He was ancient, far older than she. Every utterance seemed to kick up the dust of ruined civilizations, and the significance of Him and His might still shook her to her core despite all she had seen.

"I realize," Pluto replied, deceptively cool.

"You know the laws," He continued. "You have broken a sacred trust, and the punishment is meant to be immediate death."

"Yet, I am still here. Not Your doing, surely."

"The Queen has made it so."

Pluto blanched. Until that moment, she had thought herself incapable of surprise. "Why? She ought to be more outraged than anyone."

"Her reasons are her own," He muttered crossly. Undoubtedly, this meant He knew exactly why the former moon queen had intervened on Pluto's behalf and he disagreed with it. Not for the first or the last time, she was sure, Pluto longed to be able to communicate with the fallen Serenity. Pluto's loyalty to her transcended beyond all others. If nothing else, she would have liked to apologize for the pain she had undoubtedly caused her princess.

"Daughter," He called, louder than before. "I know not your heart or mind. In truth, I care for neither. But I warn you of this: be careful of what you do from this moment on. You have meddled in things beyond all our understanding. Even I cannot see where this path you have put us on will lead."

Pluto shuddered at that, no more nor less afraid than a moment ago, but the articulation was still horrific.

"Serenity save you," He said, almost in blessing. "Serenity save us all."

And then He was gone.

The Time Guardian turned back to the Gates and stared out at the mist before her. In each cloud, she saw hundreds upon thousands of possible futures, each more harrowing than the next. She saw the strands that led to the past as well, all thick and rigid; unchangeable for they had already occurred. Threads resembling silk and twine and everything in between spun and looped around, leading her down their paths full of roses and thorns. But she paid the events laden on each strand little mind; dire though they were, they were the least of her concerns now.

"Small Lady," Pluto whispered miserably, "where are you?"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES – 3/30/11  
Yay, that didn't take long at all! It finally occurred to me that uploading these as I go was probably not the best idea since I'm futzing with my own continuity… but now that I've started, I can't really stop. And hopefully it'll put pressure on me to get these out faster. So, huzzah.

I think now I'm at the point where the plot shouldn't change that much. I'm guessing the next few chapters will be more easy to do than I originally anticipated because they're pretty episodic in nature and there's not a lot that can be shifted around. Bright sides springing up all over the place.

Hope you guys are happy with these changes. I definitely am! Hopefully I'll see you at least one more time before the end of the month!

Thanks as always to Yumeko for putting up with all these re-edits! ≤3

Next - Part Four: Snuffed Out


	4. Snuffed Out

Forgotten Forever  
Part Four: Snuffed Out  
4/24  
by Kihin Ranno

"We have received new orders."

For the briefest of moments, the crew aboard the hidden spaceship fell momentarily silent, though it was hardly a thoughtful pause. It was merely brought about by utter surprise and shock, as much as that could be marginalized. No one had ever anticipated on their mission changing, though it certainly explained why Rubeus had been gone so long. Still, such a small sentence carried a lot of weight for the four sisters. It meant that whatever plans they had made now had to be scrapped. It was all about improvisation now, and while they knew they could do it, it didn't exactly thrill any of them.

Petz arched an eyebrow thoughtfully, folding her arms across her chest. "New orders?"

"What kind of new orders?" Karaberas questioned, uncrossing and recrossing her legs, feigning an interest in the conversation.

"I thought that the plan was set," Cooan added, obviously irritated. "Why are they changing it all of a sudden?"

"Something's gone wrong, hasn't it?" Beruche put forth, narrowing her eyes at Rubeus. As usual, her sweet tone of voice didn't seem to match up with the rest of her personality. "Has the timeline been damaged?"

Their leader heaved a frustrated sigh, tossing his jacket off into some unseen corner of the ship. He strode up and down the platform for several minutes, batting at his earring roughly before answering. "We're not entirely sure. All we know is that the Rabbit has disappeared from the Timeline."

Karaberas sat up, her back ramrod straight. "Disappeared? But she was supposed to arrive today!"

"I know," Rubeus groused, sounding none too pleased with his subordinates or himself in that moment. He did spare a moment to glare at Karaberas for insinuating that he hadn't known that. He didn't know how he felt about the fact that she didn't shrink under his gaze. He put it out of mind and went on. "The Wiseman suspects that Sailor Pluto managed to catch wind of our presence here and altered the princess's course at the last moment. At the moment, it's the only feasible explanation."

"Is he looking for her?" Petz asked.

"Yes, but Pluto's blocking his sight fairly well," Rubeus answered bitterly. As if that woman hadn't given them enough trouble getting there, now he had to deal with this mess she had caused. "Needless to say, this is something of a problem."

Cooan frowned, clenching her fist slightly. "But without the Rabbit... How are we to accomplish our goal without the Princess?"

"Don't get upset, Cooan," Rubeus chastised lazily, glancing at himself in the mirror. He examined his chin from several angles before continuing. "Prince Demando has already thought of an alternative plan to alter the future, thereby ensuring our plan to take over Crystal Tokyo.

"The original plan was the kill the Rabbit, sending the future events into a tailspin that would naturally result in our victory," Rubeus explained, not noticing Beruche's dubious look at that version of events. "The new plan remains grounded in the same principles. It is going to be much more difficult than snatching the kid, but it's going to have to do.

"In order to irreparably alter the future of Tokyo, we are going to have to do away with its very defenders," Rubeus concluded.

Beruche straightened, turning her heard in Rubeus's direction. "You mean we're to kill the Sailor Senshi?"

"No," Rubeus said testily. "The Wiseman's sight cannot pinpoint it down that easily. There are too many variables in the deaths of five women to be certain that their deaths would result in our victory."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Cooan snapped.

"Cooan, be quiet," Petz threatened, sending a glare in the younger girl's direction so that Rubeus wouldn't have to.

Rubeus turned away from them when he continued his explanation, his voice tight. "We are to merely remove them from the timeline. Kidnap them, but not kill them. If we can rid the world of its defenders, they can't stand a chance against us."

Beruche still was not convinced. "But that doesn't make sense. We may as well just kill them. Strike fear into the hearts of the people and all that."

"How Machiavellian of you," Karaberas said lightly.

"You forget the Great Ice," Rubeus reminded her. "When that comes, we will need the power of the Ginzuishou to heal the world. It may be nothing next to the Jakokuzuishou, but it isn't in its nature to awaken or to heal. We need a descendant of the White Moon to use the crystal to renew the Earth."

"Sailor Moon," Petz concluded, folding her arms across her chest thoughtfully. "And we are kidnapping all of the Senshi not only to remove them from Tokyo, but to use her friends as a bargaining to tool. To make sure that she does what we want."

Rubeus nodded. "Exactly."

"That's a fairly tall order," Petz observed. "Not impossible, but difficult nonetheless."

Karaberas sniffed, patting her hair into place. "Well, maybe it's difficult for you, Petz. I think it will be a snap, myself."

The normally unshakeable Petz hunched her shoulders and growled, clearly longing to punch Karaberas hard in the mouth. Cooan wasn't entirely sure what stopped her from doing so.

"We don't have time for your bickering, Petz. Karaberas," Rubeus snapped even as it became clear that neither sister was going to start a fight just then. "Needless to say, it is imperative that we capture Sailor Moon. She is the key to ensuring our success. And that means that we are going to have to pick off her four guardians one by one. There will be no getting near her otherwise."

Karaberas smirked slightly. "I wonder if that has less to do with the fact that she can control the crystal and more to do with the assumption that Sailor Moon is actually Neo Queen Serenity."

Rubeus shut his eyes, the level of his irritation steadily rising. "Karaberas--"

"Oh, don't get mad at her, Rubeus," Cooan said, leaning against a pillar. "Everyone knows that Prince Demando has some sort of infatuation with the Queen. He doesn't try to hide it, so I don't see a reason why we can't talk about it."

"Our prince's romantic inclinations aside," Rubeus said, redirecting the conversation gracelessly. "If Sailor Moon is in fact Neo Queen Serenity, of course it's important that we capture her. As the most powerful, she's the one we have to worry the most about."

Beruche smiled softly. "Then where did she go?"

The group fell silent at that, each pondering the final battle in which Neo Queen Serenity had made her final appearance. The Black Moon had launched a full scale attack against the palace. The White Moon, as they had come to be called, had had no time to prepare for the assault. Still, all of them had found it odd when Neo Queen Serenity was the first to appear outside the palace, hiking up her skirts and looking around frantically as if she'd lost something. None of them had been close enough to hear just who or what she had been looking for. Still, they'd all seen as Demando called down to her, perhaps offering a chance to surrender. She'd glared back up at him, defiant as ever. She would never bend to his will.

The two monarchs had been locked in battle many times before, so Prince Demando had almost felt foolish launching a blast of dark energy at his powerful adversary. He had tried it many times before, and failed each time. He had always found himself pitted against the might of the Ginzuishou. No amount of training from the Wiseman could prepare him for the raw power of that tiny stone.

They had all been surprised when she merely brought up her arms to defend herself.

Moments later, the Guardian Senshi had appeared. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury each shouted something that many heard, but no one could agree on. Light poured out of their hands, blinding anyone close enough to see what was going on. When they could see again, the great queen was gone, leaving only her soldiers to fight against the dark forces storming the palace. They had fought back valiantly, momentarily stemming the tide. They'd bought themselves just enough time to flee to the center of the palace and use their collective powers to form a shield around the palace to protect them all.

It was a tactic the Black Moon had never thought of them using. It seemed rather silly to do so. After all, their Queen certainly didn't need much protecting. She was stronger than all of them put together. So why would they do something like that?

It was a question that quite possibly would never be answered.

Rubeus shook his head, clearing his mind of all of these unbidden thoughts. "Forget the future for the time being," he instructed. "Though our purpose is to bring it to its knees, we must first conquer the past. That must be our focus from now on."

"How are we supposed to accomplish this, Rubeus?" Petz questioned, apparently still holding on to her opinion that this was not going to be an easy battle to win.

Rubeus sighed. "Another reason why I was so late in returning..." He ran a hand through his hair before he began to pace about the spaceship, the metal clanging loudly beneath his heavy combat boots. "As I'm sure you all know, many people did not survive the Great Ice. The monarchs of Crystal Tokyo kept notoriously exact records, listing the names of all of those that were classified as missing as many did not remember who they had been before they fell asleep.

"We also know that the Sailor Senshi must have all had civilian identities in this time period as they do not exist continuously as they do in the future. Saffir reasoned that the women they co-existed as were no doubt listed as either dead or missing in these records in order to grant their families some peace in the future and to tie up all the lose ends.

"It took... a very long time, but we managed to cross reference all of the names to photo identification databases existing in this century. Though we're still working on it, we were able to discover the identity of one Sailor Mars."

As he spoke, the projector in the middle of the floor of the spaceship whirred to life and a hologram of a young girl with long dark hair appeared. She was dressed in the traditional miko robes and standing on the top of a set of steps that was vaguely familiar to them all.

"Hikawa Jinja," Beruche said aloud.

"Indeed," Rubeus said with a nod. "There was always some question as to why the Royal Family was so particular about caring for this particular shrine. When it occurred to us to check into the owners at the time when the Great Ice came, it made the search considerably less painful.

"This is Hino Rei, and I'm sure you can see the similarities between her and Sailor Mars of our time. Though we cannot say that she is Sailor Mars with one hundred percent certainty, it is the closest we've been able to find at this time."

Cooan stepped forward, eyeing the image of the girl hovering before her. She had been pitted against Mars often in the future battles. Their elements and abilities were almost a perfect match for one another. They'd often found themselves stalemated, but there had been a few times where Mars had managed to outclass her as a warrior. It had been humiliating for the young assassin to endure. Especially since she had been unable to return the favor.

"I'll take this mission, Master Rubeus," Cooan offered, smiling in a manner she probably thought was alluring. Karaberas rolled her eyes, sending a look in Petz's direction that Cooan didn't notice. "I'm so looking forward to getting reacquainted with Miss Mars in a different setting."

Rubeus smiled slightly, as if he had been expecting Cooan to take the assignment. Then again, her decision was a surprise to no one. Cooan's grudge against Mars was hardly a state secret. "Don't let me down, Cooan."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Cooan purred.

"Of course," Rubeus said, sounding just the slightest bit dubious. "Just be careful. The Sailor Senshi may be weaker than they were the last time we faced them, but that doesn't mean that you get to underestimate them. If you fail, it becomes my failure, and that would not make me happy, Cooan." His explanation had seemed to get darker as he went on, making all of the sisters uneasy.

Cooan looked away and sniffed slightly, inspecting her long nails, trying to make it seem as though she hadn't been affected by him. "That's a rather silly thing to tell me, Master Rubeus."

Rubeus briefly considered keeping his peace and not answer her, even though she had obviously been baiting him. However, against his better judgment, he responded, "Why is that, Cooan?"

"Because I'm not going to fail," she informed him, sounding surprised that he hadn't been able to figure it out for himself. She giggled girlishly before vanishing in a flash of purple light.

-----

The meeting had been over for several hours, but Rei was only just beginning to feel settled enough to give what had happened some real consideration. Usagi, of course, had walked in nearly an hour late with Makoto in tow. Rei had instantly snapped at her about not answering her communicator when she was always supposed to answer it because it was for emergency use only. Ami had then reminded her that this meeting wasn't technically under their normal umbrella of emergency and that they had often used it to call meetings when there was no other way of contacting each other. This had left Rei with no leg to stand on, so instead she focused on Minako's sudden absence.

Makoto had been about to say something when Usagi interrupted, saying that Minako had remembered a family emergency she had to attend to. Though this made sense to no one in the room, including Makoto, who had been out there with them, Rei had decided to ignore it for the time being. She had made a mental note that she would call Minako later and figure out what had actually happened.

Of course, it was later, and she still hadn't called Minako. Rei just didn't feel like talking to anyone at that precise moment.

The meeting hadn't exactly gone well. Though she hadn't been expecting anyone to have an epiphany, she couldn't seem to make Usagi in particular understand the gravity of the situation. It wasn't just another vision she'd had. It had been the feeling when she'd seen those images that unsettled her. She still felt a certain amount of unease hours later, though she would rather feel that than the overwhelming sense of dread she'd experienced earlier. Even so, she felt like they spent the entirety of the meeting trying to rationalize her premonition into something harmless. Rei had never appreciated being contradicted, but it was in these matters that she became particularly testy. It didn't help that she spent half of her time trying to keep both Makoto's and Usagi's separate attentions.

Usagi's behavior was still worrisome, but Rei knew that it was time to stop coddling her. They needed to drag her back to reality kicking and screaming if they had to. Yes, Mamoru not remembering was tragic for Usagi, but it didn't mean getting him back wasn't impossible. It was destiny. This was hardly the end of the world.

Then again, Rei had never really understood how people could become so deeply affected by these matters. After all, Usagi wasn't the only one who had lost Mamoru at one time or another. Not that Rei had ever really cared for him like Usagi did. He was an interesting person to be around, and a nice figure to have on her arm, but little more than that.

Rei supposed it was one of those things she would understand when she was really in love, but for the time being, she was completely at a loss.

"Rei?"

She looked up, startled to hear her name. She blinked when she saw Yuuichirou standing in front of her, precariously balancing a tea tray in front of him. Before the inevitable disaster occurred, Rei reached up and took it from him, setting it on the low table she was seated at.

"Yuuichirou, what are you doing up?" Rei asked, rather ridiculously. "It's late. You should be in bed."

"So should you," he countered somewhat sheepishly. He sat down across from her, taking her acceptance of the tea as a form of invitation.

Rei sighed, reaching forward and pouring the tea into the two cups Yuuichirou had provided. "I can't sleep. I have too much on my mind." She inhaled the aroma from the tea as the steam wafted up to her nose. It was chamomile. Just the sort of thing she needed if she had any hope of getting to sleep that night.

"I can't sleep either," Yuuichirou said hastily, fussing with the tie on his robes. "Not that I have too much on my mind. I just... Well, it doesn't matter. I'd rather stay up with you anyway." He flushed a bit, quickly reaching for the tea to mask his behavior. He took a long sip of it without bothering to cool it off. He practically dropped it again, turning even redder for an entirely different reason.

Rei shook her head, slowly getting to her feet. "I'll get you some water, Yuuichirou. Try not to hurt yourself while I'm gone."

"Yesh, Lei," he muttered gloomily, averting his gaze like a scolded child.

She looked at him with a familiar kind of disbelief and went into the kitchen to pour him a glass of water. Rei returned a few minutes later, handing the water to him, and retaking her seat at the other end of the table. As long as she was going to be awake, she figured she may as well have some company, unwanted as it was. If Yuuichirou could avoid any more accidents, there was a chance that he might be boring enough to lull her to sleep. She knew that the chances of that were slim to none, but she was allowed to hope.

"So, Yuuichirou," Rei began as soon as he'd downed the entire glass of water in one obnoxious gulp. "Why can't you sleep? Did the monster in your closet come back?" she queried, referring to the time that her grandfather had turned into a youma, thanks to Zoisite's interference. She had convinced a terrified Yuuichirou that it had been a figment of his imagination and often found herself teasing him about it. Usagi once told her that was mean, but Rei assumed that it would look odd if she didn't say anything.

He smiled slightly at her jab, picking up his cup of tea again, remembering to blow on it this time so that his tongue wasn't subjected to any more torture. "No, it's just... You seemed really out of it when you got home, and then it didn't seem like you and your friends were getting along this afternoon."

Rei blinked in surprise, looking up at him with wide eyes. "You-- You heard us." She swallowed and turned her attention down to her cooling tea. She gripped it tightly within her hands, absorbing the warmth into her stiff fingers, and readied herself for the worst. She certainly hoped that a certain discovery about the five girls was not what was keeping Yuuichirou up, but she knew that there had always been some risk in it. Yuuichirou and her grandfather had a habit of "accidentally" overhearing other people's conversations. "What exactly did you hear?"

"I didn't take notes on the exact conversation," Yuuichirou assured her. "I just heard you yelling... more than usual."

Rei laughed mirthlessly, a little relieved. She couldn't allow herself much of it unfortunately as Yuuichirou had just reminded her of the bulk of her troubles. "Yeah. Things have been a little tense lately."

Yuuichirou frowned slightly, looking at her through the spaces between his shaggy brown bangs. "What are you all so stressed about? Is there a big test or something coming up?"

"I wish it were that simple," Rei murmured, taking a sip of her tea to try and soothe her restless mind. Unfortunately, chamomile did not have an immediate effect on her. "It's pretty complicated, Yuuichirou. I'm not sure I know about everything that's going on anymore." She frowned, remembering Minako's sudden disappearance and Makoto and Usagi's odd behavior. A moment later, she shook her head and continued. "I suppose most of it is that Usagi is still very worried about Mamoru, and we're all worried about her."

Yuuichirou didn't immediately recognize the name. Then after a moment, he looked away, sounding sullen and bitter. "The guy with the dark hair you used to go around with?"

Rei glared. Yuuichirou always got testy at the mere mention of another male who had accidentally bumped into Rei on the bus. She didn't want to think about how unreasonable he would get if she entertained this conversation for a moment. "We did not 'go around,' Yuuichirou. We were..." Rei trailed off for a moment. What had they been exactly? She had assumed they were something, but she later realized that Mamoru had been completely oblivious. She was beginning to realize that this was a character trait she would encounter often if the mess with his memory ever got straightened out.

After a moment, Rei finally finished her sentence. "We were just friends."

He seemed to perk up considerably at that, not noticing or perhaps actively ignoring her hesitation. "Oh, well, that's all right then."

Rei smiled slightly. Yuuichirou could be amusing every now and again. And he was certainly easier to deal with than some certain four females. "I'm glad you approve."

Yuuichirou seemed mildly embarrassed about her response, which was surprising because his feelings could rarely be classified under the umbrella of mild. She supposed maybe he was a bit more tired than he was letting on. It was the only explanation she could come up with for not turning the same color as her robes.

"So, he's still not doing too well?" Yuuichirou questioned, his voice indicating that he was truly concerned and not just making conversation to fill time.

Rei started to shake her head, but soon revised that to a shrug. "We really don't know much actually. We haven't seen him since we were all taken to the hospital the other night, and even then only Ami managed to get in. She said he didn't look too great, but then it was miracle he managed to get out alive at all much less without needing surgery."

Yuuichirou's face tightened as it did every time that she had brought up this subject. She wished she would have learned to avoid it, but she continued to make the same mistake, often landing them in the same conversation. He pounded his fist on the table, quickly reaching out to grab the tea kettle when he nearly knocked it off. He sighed, completely frustrated with himself and said, "I should have been there."

Rei's eyes fluttered closed in exasperation. "Yuuichirou--"

"No," he interrupted, a bit more harshly than he probably intended, but it was not like his tone was all that off-putting for her. "I should have been with you. Or I at least should have been here at the shrine instead of out with my stupid friends. I get home and find you limping all over the place, but I couldn't even help you then because I wasn't exactly steady on my feet either. I was just... stupid." His face fell considerably, and he poked at his tea cup irritably. "Like always, right?"

Rei's face softened sympathetically. Yuuichirou always wanted to play the knight in shining armor, riding in on a white horse to save her from peril. It was really too bad he would never be able to keep his seat. "Yuuichirou, I told you. There was nothing you could have done. If you'd been with me, you'd probably in worse shape than Mamoru."

He couldn't contradict that sound argument. "But then you were all alone at the hospital, and--"

"I wasn't alone," Rei reiterated for what felt like the fiftieth time. She didn't know how she managed to keep the irritation out of her voice. Actually, she probably wasn't. Her grandfather said she had a tendency to sound vexed even when she was given a gift that she honestly liked. "The girls were with me."

"I know, I know," Yuuichirou muttered miserably. "I just... wish I could have been there I guess."

Rei smiled, finishing her cup of tea. "That's very sweet of you, Yuuichirou." She stretched, yawning slightly. "That chamomile really did the trick. I think I'm going to try and get some sleep. Maybe things will seem better in the morning."

Yuuichirou nodded hopefully, his bad mood forgotten or set aside for her sake, trying to encourage her with his earnestness. "Yeah, maybe."

Rei slowly got to her feet, moving to head to her room. Before she left, she turned back around and bent at the waist so that she was level with Yuuichirou's face. She later would wonder what horrible demon had possessed her to make her do it, but at the moment, it was simply a gesture of her gratitude. She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek, smiling at the surprised little noise he made.

"Thank you," she said honestly. "You know, there are times that I'm actually glad that you're here." Then, she straightened and began walking back to her room, leaving Yuuichirou to wonder at what point during the conversation he had died and gone to heaven.

-----

"_This_ is the harpy who tried to light my hair on fire?" Cooan said in complete disbelief as soon as Hino Rei had exited the room. She had been sitting outside the window, which had been left slightly ajar to allow a breeze to waft through the shrine. Luckily, it had also served Cooan enough to overhear the pair's conversation. Sadly, it had also made her very much doubt whether or not Rubeus had been correct in this selection.

None of the evidence presented to her seemed to add up. The girl certainly had a temper to match the Mars she was acquainted with in the future, but everyone knew that the Sailor Senshi had all been born on the Darkest Days, coinciding with some of the worst events that had befallen the Black Moon since their exile to Nemesis. Every act they had committed from the time of their birth was catalogued in Nemesian history, and nothing suggested that they had ever been benevolent or kind. They defended their territory at any cost, they attacked so-called enemies before learning of their motives, they clawed their way to power in the aftermath of disaster, and manipulated the people of Earth into actually thinking that they were doing the right thing.

Her ancestors had been the only ones to stand up against Neo Queen Serenity and her four soldiers. They had stirred up a revolution, they had defended themselves against tyranny and tried to make others see the truth in what was going on around them. And then, just as they were beginning to be truly successful, the palace struck back with such brute force that only twenty of the original revolutionaries remained. They were not given a trial. They were merely shipped off to Exile on a dead planet and the White Moon called them dangerous menaces to society. Some even made Neo Queen Serenity out to be merciful for she had let them live.

Yes, she had let them live, but she had condemned them to such misery that three of the original survivors committed suicide in the first year of exile.

It wasn't until later that they had begun to build up their clan. Families were created, children were born, and the fire was quickly spread. It took many years,  
but finally the Black Moon clan had worked up enough power to strike back against their oppressors. They had come up with a brilliant scheme, a flawless plan of action. To journey to the past and remove the Sailor Soldiers before they had a chance to do take the throne of Earth while hundreds of people struggled to understand what had happened at all.

And Hino Rei, the girl who was supposed to be the most vicious of the Four Senshi, understood benevolence? No, Cooan could not wrap her brain around that. It flew in the face of everything she had been taught.

Cooan would have liked nothing more than to rush in at that exact moment and kidnap Rei immediately, but she would not do so without being sure. Kidnapping the wrong girl could be disastrous. They would not be able to put her back, for there would be too much of a chance that the Senshi would learn that they were being hunted and put them on guard before the Black Moon was even able to take one. But killing her could also alter the future in ways that the Wiseman could not foresee. And while they could keep her, no one would want to, no matter what the risk.

Besides, Rubeus would consider it her failure even though it would have been his mistake. He would lay the blame on her even as it was being put upon him from higher up. The last thing Cooan wanted was for Rubeus to be disappointed in her, and so Cooan decided that she had no choice but to wait and be certain.

Cooan stayed outside for a few while until she thought everyone in the house were sound asleep. Then she suddenly appeared in Rei's room, dimming the flash of light so as not to disturb the slumbering girl. Cooan held out her hand to summon something from the ship. A moment later, a tiny black crystal appeared in her palm, glittering in the low light. It wasn't so much as a quarter inch in diameter, made of the same material as the earrings every member of the Black Moon Clan wore. It was a tracking device from their time, and it would allow Cooan to keep an eye on Rei. Hopefully, she would be able to gather more clues in order to see if Rubeus was right about this girl's identity.

Cooan poked about the room for awhile before finding something she could put the tracking device in. It was a briefcase obviously meant for school judging by the books inside. It was no doubt something that would remain near Rei at all times. She emptied the case and placed the tiny gem on as inconspicuous a spot as she could think of, nodding in satisfaction when it was done. A quiet moan from Rei's bed startled her into replacing the books, glancing over at her to see if she was beginning to wake up. Thankfully, she wasn't. She was merely sleeping fitfully, turning away from Cooan rather than toward her.

Cooan looked back at the slumbering teenager, all dark hair and pale skin. Yes, Cooan had been right about one thing. She certainly looked like Sailor Mars.

But Cooan still couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

-----

The next morning was almost routine at the Tsukino household. As usual, Usagi overslept and her mother had to wake her up several times before the blonde actually dragged herself out of bed. Usagi was surely going to be late, but no amount of telling her this would make her hurry until she saw the time for herself. Then, and only then, did she rush about, throwing her clothes this way and that in order to try and find a clean uniform for that day's outing. She still jogged to get out the door, having to reenter to grab her shoes as she forgot to put them on. She also forgot her lunch, but she didn't go back to retrieve that, and Shingo had already left earlier.

Luna, more than the other members of the Tsukino family, noticed the lack of vigor in Usagi's mad dash. Normally, Usagi's desperation was accompanied by a number of harried accusations towards her mother's nonexistent negligence as well as quite a number of pleas to the Kami to turn back time or at least slow it down a bit. Today, it was all done in silence.

Usagi obviously still hadn't gotten over the blow Mamoru's continued selective amnesia caused her. While Luna could sympathize, Usagi remaining this depressed simply wasn't like her. The disparity between this and her normal self was so disturbing that Luna could hardly breathe around her. Still, she knew that as Usagi's guardian, it was up to her to at least put forth an effort to mend a young girl's heart.

Luna trotted after the pigtailed blonde, watching as her jog eventually slowed to a walk. Usagi had apparently ceased to care about even trying to get to school on time. Luna couldn't say she was surprised.

"Usagi?"

She barely looked up when the cat called her name. It was more like a slight twitch, an attempt at a reaction, only to find that she was too weighed down to do much. "Hmm?"

Luna frowned slightly and said, "Usagi, don't you think you should at least try and cheer up? I know that this situation with Mamoru is... difficult, but--"

"It's not just about Mamoru, Luna," Usagi informed her quietly, her voice trembling, yet sounding utterly resolute.

The black cat narrowed her eyes, wondering what else could have possibly happened. Then she remembered a late night visit she'd had from Artemis. He'd come to inform her that the girls had had a meeting earlier that day, and Minako had been utterly inconsolable since she had arrived home. She wouldn't tell him exactly what happened, but she had insinuated that it had something to do with Usagi. Artemis had been hoping to get some idea about it from Luna. Luna hadn't even known there was a meeting.

"Did you and Minako have a fight?" Luna asked cautiously.

Usagi immediately went rigid and started to walk faster. "I don't want to talk about it."

She'd been right.

Of course, Luna couldn't imagine what Minako and Usagi could have possibly fought about at a time like this. Minako of all people should have been the most sympathetic to Usagi's predicament. Not that either blonde had been behaving typically as of late, but even so...

"Are you sure you don't--"

"Luna, I really don't want to talk about it," Usagi repeated, her voice strangely quiet.

The cat paused, deciding it was best to follow Usagi's wishes in this matter. "All right, Usagi. I just..." Luna trailed off, searching for the correct way to phrase things. "We all just wish there was something we could do to make you feel better. I'm sure the girls would be happy to take you on some sort of outing--"

"Ami offered yesterday," Usagi interrupted. "After the meeting. I don't want to go out anywhere, so please don't suggest that."

Luna's frown deepened, and she wondered if it was possible for a cat to get worry lines. Still, she continued, deciding that she had to do something to lift Usagi's spirits, or at least change them. She'd take an angry Usagi over this desperately morose one any day. At least she had seen that before. "I'd even drag Mamoru to our house for a sit down if I could, but that's impossible. You could always visit him some time if it would make you feel better."

Usagi abruptly stopped in her tracks at the suggestion. Apparently, the idea had not occurred to the girl before. The force with which it dawned on her caused her entire demeanor to change. Luna thought the girl looked just a little bit lighter,  
and she felt utterly relieved.

"That's a great idea, Luna," Usagi said, almost chirping with excitement. "Come on!"

Luna stared after the retreating girl's back in utter disbelief, quickly realizing that Usagi had taken 'some time' to mean 'right this minute'. This wasn't what she'd meant at all. "Usagi!" she shouted, running all out to catch up with her charge. "I meant after school! I'm not even certain that I meant today!"

"But Luna, there's no time to waste!" Usagi insisted, her usual determination slowly coming back into her gaze. "If Mamoru's going to remember me, then he's going to have to do it quickly. The sooner we can manage it, the easier it will be on all of us."

"And it can't wait until after school?" Luna muttered irritably, knowing there was very little she could do to dissuade Usagi at this point.

"No."

And that was that.

"Fine," Luna groused. She realized it was very unlike her to encourage this sort of behavior, but she was granting a certain exception in this case. It might not have been the correct thing to do, but it was what she wanted to do, and for once, Luna was going to follow her impulse. "I won't nag you, but only this once. This is how much I don't like you moping. I want you to keep that in mind."

Usagi almost smiled.

"And just how do you plan on getting in to see him? They're going to know that you're supposed to be in school. The uniform is a bit of a give away?"

Usagi reached into the pocket of her blouse, unclipping a pen that was hanging over the cloth. She pulled out a very familiar pink pen with a gaudy jewel on top, making Luna groan.

"I know I've said it before, but sometimes I really regret giving that to you."

-----

At lunchtime that same day, Ami and Makoto practically ran into each other in a nigh desperate attempt on the part of one to reach the other.

"Did she ever show up?" Makoto asked worriedly, crinkling her forehead.

Of course, she was referring to Usagi, who had not arrived for school that morning. At first, neither Makoto nor Ami had been particularly alarmed. After all, Usagi wasn't exactly known for her punctuality. They'd gone to their separate classrooms, expecting to hear Usagi careening down the hallway at any given moment.

Makoto had never heard so much as a peep from outside the classroom.

"No," Ami said miserably, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "She didn't."

"Damn!" Makoto cursed, punching the wall next to her. She didn't notice that her fist landed directly between two of her male classmates, who went stone white when her hand slammed between them. They gave each other a look, and then sent one to Makoto, ensuring that she wasn't paying them any attention before they fled.

"We could be overreacting," Ami attempted to reason, though she didn't sound all that sure of herself. "She could very well have made herself ill. She didn't look too well at the meeting yesterday, and--"

Makoto sighed loudly, cutting Ami off. "No, I don't think it has anything to do with that." She clenched her fist and looked away, saying, "Ami... There's something I need to tell you about the meeting yesterday. About when Minako and I went outside."

As Makoto told her story, Ami's hope for a normal problem died more and more with each word that fell out of the brunette's mouth. When Makoto was done, Ami grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bathroom, pulling out her communicator. She was now certain that desperate times called for desperate measures, hoping that both of the other girls had lunch at the same time that they did.

That was quite possibly the only thing that was currently going as planned. Rei and Minako both answered immediately.

"Ami, what's wrong?" Minako inquired, instantly concerned.

"It's Usagi," Ami said quietly after Makoto had checked to make sure all of the other stalls were empty. "She never showed up for school today."

Rei sighed, clearly irritated. "Oh, great. She's letting this get her down enough to stay home from school now?"

Minako looked pale, even a little ill herself. Ami couldn't say that she blamed her considering what had happened. She sent a little look over her shoulder at Makoto to ensure that she noticed.

"I... don't think it's just that, Rei," Minako admitted quietly.

"Eh?" Rei asked, now clearly the only one who did not know about the fight.

"Later," Makoto advised wisely. Rei would not take kindly to being misinformed, nor would she take kindly to the situation itself. Makoto wasn't sure who she would blame for the incident, but Makoto knew that she was not blameless. She was in no mood to be at the recieving end of Rei's wrath, and they didn't have time for it besides. "Look, it's entirely possible that she's just made herself sick over this whole thing. It could just be that."

That suggestion didn't seem to do much to make Minako feel better.

"You don't seem convinced," Rei observed. "You think she ditched?"

"To do what?" Minako forced out.

Ami shrugged helplessly. "Maybe she just needed some time to think away from her family and the rest of us. She didn't eat lunch with us yesterday. Maybe it wasn't enough space."

Rei huffed slightly. "I'm all for Usagi pulling herself together, but skipping school? This is becoming unhealthy. Scratch that, it's becoming even more unhealthy."

Minako frowned. "What should we do?"

"I think we should go look for her after school," Ami suggested helpfully. "I'll go to her house and see if she just stayed home with the stomach flu or something."

"Let's hope it's just that," Makoto mumbled. "I'll check around the arcade."

"And I'll take the other haunts," Minako agreed, not sounding particularly eager to do so.

"I'll wait around the shrine to see if she shows up there," Rei offered, though everyone else could tell that she would much rather be tearing through all of Tokyo to see where Usagi was hiding. Nonetheless, they all thought that someone ought to stay at the shrine should the girl venture over there, and Rei was definitely the most likely candidate for that, even if it wasn't what she wanted to do. "So, it's agreed?"

"Definitely," Ami responded. "I'm sure we're all overreacting, but..."

They all fell into silence after that. Yes, 'but.' That was the one word that led to a thousand ideas that made them decide that they had to find her without sparing a second, if only to ease their troubled minds.

-----

Usagi had never before realized just how difficult it was to navigate hospitals before. She couldn't recall ever having this problem in the past, but then, she had never snuck around a hospital in search of a patient she wasn't technically supposed to see before. She'd always had directions and a general idea of what floor the person would be on.

She also hadn't been forced to duck nearly every time a doctor or some other personnel came by, pretending to look busy so that they wouldn't try and have her assist on a surgery or give someone a sponge bath or something else equally mortifying. She glanced down at her stark white nurse's uniform, shaking her head a bit. Her cap was on a bit lose, so she had to reach up and straighten it after doing so, closing her eyes to keep from getting any more frustrated with herself. She could not help but think that it would have been easier to choose someone with less authority to disguise herself as, but things were working out well enough for the time being. She just hoped that they stayed that way.

Usagi had now been wandering around the hospital for hours in search of Mamoru's room. She was very glad that she had told Luna to wait outside as the feline would no doubt have insisted they give up some time ago before something happened. But cats weren't exactly welcome in a hospital, and Usagi hadn't particularly wanted to carry her around in a basket for an unspecified amount of time, so she'd had Luna wait outside. It had been the best decision she'd made in awhile.

She didn't have to glance at a clock to know that it was lunch time, if not later than that. Her stomach was growling loud enough for some of the elderly patients to give her very disapproving looks. It was mildly embarrassing, but she knew that she couldn't afford to stop for food. In trying to find it, she would likely get herself even more turned around, and then she might never find Mamoru. She'd already been forced to take a forty minute detour in search of a bathroom, and she refused to allow herself any more delays.

She wasn't entirely sure what floor she was on, but she supposed it looked promising, though not in a way she cared for. The hallways on the other floors she had been on had been full of people, personnel, visitors, and patients. This floor was alarmingly empty by contrast. There were some nurses flitting about and a mother and son exiting a room very slowly, their eyes downcast. Usagi knew that Mamoru's injuries had been bad; perhaps bad enough to put him on a floor where the patients couldn't leave their room.

Usagi walked briskly into the hallway, checking the names on the doors as she went. She made an effort to look like she was walking with purpose, finding that less people stopped her if she did that; however, she assumed her refusal to look forward while she was walking did something to hinder that.

"Chiba-san, you really should make an attempt to eat more."

Both Usagi's footsteps and her heart stopped. Her head snapped over to a room on the other side of the hallway. A rolling cart filled with empty trays was sitting just outside the room, and Usagi could see a nurse standing next to someone's bed. She could only hope that it was the right someone.

"I know. I'm sorry," a baritone voice responded, sounding something like her father sometimes did when he came home from a long day at the newspaper - very tired, but trying to be happy for other people's sake. It also sounded something like Mamoru's, but it was raspier than she remembered. She didn't know what that meant or if it was just her imagination, but Usagi found herself biting her lip and hoping that it was really him in that room. "I just haven't been able to work up an appetite since..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish.

The nurse shook her head at him, putting her hands on her hips. "I find that very troubling, Chiba-san. You need to eat more to get your strength back. I don't need to tell you about the ordeal your body has been through."

"I'll try and do better at dinner," the patient responded, his voice charming, but clearly for the purpose of getting the nurse out of the room.

It worked well enough as she leaned forward and picked up his tray, still shaking her head. "See that you do, Chiba-san."

The nurse turned to leave, walking in the direction of the door. Usagi quickly reached up and plucked a chart out of a nearby doorway, making a great show of studying it intently, holding it straight in front of her face to prevent being recognized. She peeked out from side of the chart, watching as the nurse kept walking forward, preparing to pull the door open wide enough for Usagi to see inside.

"Oh, and nurse?"

She looked over her shoulder, her foot poised to maneuver through the doorway. "Yes, Chiba-san?"

"Would it be possible to leave me alone for a few hours? I'd like some time to myself, if that's all right."

The nurse paused for a moment, and then nodded. "I'll put a note on your chart."

"Thank you."

That said, the nurse slowly kicked the door open wide, allowing Usagi to see inside. She nearly dropped the chart when she saw Mamoru sitting in bed, his head turned to stare out of his window down on the Tokyo streets. She felt her heart pounding in her ears and her fingers curled around the plastic clipboard so fiercely that she thought she might break it in half. She felt a painful smile split across her face when she saw him. It felt like it had been years, though it had really only been a few days.

Still, things were different now. He may not have known that she was Sailor Moon or that he had once been Tuxedo Kamen, but he had protected her as Tsukino Usagi and as Sailor Moon, even while he was just Chiba Mamoru. He had proven that the part of him that loved her was still in there, even if he didn't remember it. It was now up to her to make him remember. Maybe Luna couldn't do anything for him, but there had to be a way to give him his memory back.

Usagi would stop at nothing until she found out what that was.

The nurse closed the door behind her and added Mamoru's tray to the rest, dumping his leftover food in a garbage bag attached to the side. She pulled out Mamoru's chart, leaving the appropriate notations that he had requested. She then pushed the cart forward towards her next destination, stopping it in front of the next room in order to repeat the same collection process.

Usagi glanced around, seeing that the hallway was miraculously empty. She knew that this might be her only chance to get Mamoru alone until he was out of the hospital, and who knew how long that would take? Mamoru may have asked to have been left alone, but there was no telling how long that would actually last. She didn't have much time, but she was going to make the most of it.

Granted, she still had no idea how she was going to go about actually jogging Mamoru's memory, but she decided that she could only handle one brilliant plan at a time.

After checking around one last time to make sure that no one was going to pop out at her suddenly, Usagi let her transformation fade out. She breathed a small sigh of relief, happy to be just a junior high school student again. She didn't allow herself too much time to linger, practically leaping across the hallway to Mamoru's door. She reached out, gripping the cold metal of the doorknob as she felt fear wrap its fist around her heart.

This might not work. As a matter of fact, it was fairly likely that it would not work. She had been trying to make everything right before Mamoru had ended up in Ail and Ann's apartment, before the Makaiju had gone berserk, and nothing had come of her efforts. Now more time had passed, and perhaps the memories had receded beyond her reach. Perhaps not even her power could help him now.

Usagi felt her eyelids pull closed as she thought of the terrifying possibility that this life would continue. She thought of how horrible it would be to be permanently isolated from Mamoru. True, there was a possibility that if she hung around him enough, he would come to love her in his own time, in his own way. But Usagi knew that she would always be burdened with the memory of the past life, and it would eventually do any relationship with him, even a friendship, more harm than good. She couldn't shoulder that by herself, not when she thought back to how intense and how wonderful and how right it had been all those centuries ago. She would long for more than he could possibly give without those memories, and it would eventually ruin everything.

Usagi didn't think she would be able to survive if Mamoru didn't remember.

Usagi shook her head adamantly, her blonde hair flying about her for a moment. No, things were different now. Surely after what had happened he was close to a breakthrough. Perhaps it was now on the edge of his mind, dancing on the border of remembering and repression. Maybe it wouldn't take very much effort at all to get Mamoru back. Maybe he was searching himself, feeling that he had lost something very important just as he had when he had been looking for his princess all those months ago.

She could help him find it. She would help him find it.

She would make him find it.

That decided, Usagi's fingers flexed against the handle. She turned it swiftly, pushing the door open before she had a chance to lose heart or to give anyone else a chance to stop her.

Mamoru jumped a bit when the door opened and closed so suddenly, as Usagi had been afraid of being seen at the last minute. He was even more surprised when he saw the blonde fourteen year old standing in front of the door, breathing hard to accommodate from the adrenaline rush. They both stared at each other for a minute, and it would have seemed to anyone else that they acted as if they might never see each other again, and this meeting was a surprise.

But it wasn't like that at all for Usagi. She would have traveled any distance and fought any number of obstacles to see Mamoru's face again. She knew that as well as she knew her right from her left.

Still, she couldn't help but stare. She hadn't noticed, or perhaps had not let herself see, the extent of the injuries that Mamoru had sustained. Ami had been vague in describing them, and now Usagi could see why. His limbs were almost entirely caught up in bandages, along with his head and apparently his chest, from what little of that she could see. What flesh she could see was almost entirely covered in bruises and cuts. Even his face had apparently taken a beating as a welt on his cheek clearly suggested.

He was hurt and hurt badly. He was lying in a hospital bed looking worse than she'd ever seen a live human being look. And he was lying there because he'd been trying to protect her.

Mamoru blinked, a smile breaking out on his face. "Usagi! I didn't expect to--"

Before Usagi knew precisely what she was doing, she found herself sobbing and running over to his bed. She collapsed beside him, her knees giving out at the last moment. She threw her arms around his waist and tried not to squeeze to hard as she sobbed into his lap. She cried as if she hadn't spent so much time crying over the last few days, like she hadn't cried in years and now all the built up torment was spilling out of her in an uncontrollable flood. Her shoulders shook so much she thought that her arms might fall off, and the tears kept coming no matter how hard she tried to stop them. She kept trying to apologize but she couldn't quite catch her breath, not even when Mamoru's initial shock wore off and he started patting her head, telling her over and over again that it was going to be all right. That he was going to be all right. Though she believed him, she still couldn't make herself calm down because the guilt of seeing him like that was choking her.

He was hurt because of her, and he didn't even know that he loved her. It was too cruel to both of them, to be torn apart like this again. And she couldn't decide if it was crueler to her to have her remember and long for him when he didn't have a clue or to deprive Mamoru of his memory again, something he had nearly died for all those months ago.

Usagi decided that it was equally cruel, and so she cried for both of them, unsure of whether or not she'd ever be able to stop.

-----

Rei arrived home after a very tiring day at TA Academy wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and never emerge. It had been taxing physically, mentally, and emotionally, and most of that was due in fact to Usagi's strange disappearance. Ami had contacted her again after Juuban School had gotten out to say that Usagi had not arrived late, and that several attempts to contact her via the communicator had not worked. While none of the girls were worried for her safety, there was some concern about Usagi's mental and emotional state. She had been literally shattered by Mamoru's memory loss after getting her hopes up so high, and thus far, things had been too hectic for them to even attempt to cheer her up.

Rei sighed, flopping back onto her bed and covering her eyes with her palm. She wondered if any attempt to cheer Usagi up would have worked even if they had gotten the opportunity to do so. She hated thinking such things, but Usagi should have bounced back by now. Even when Mamoru had been made into an enemy, Usagi had managed to smile and have fun frequently. That had been in thanks at least partially to Minako and Rei and the other girls keeping her distracted on a fairly regular basis. And Rei thought that perhaps if they had done that this time around, Usagi would be in a much better position than she was now. Still, there was something in the girl's eyes, something in the way she carried herself that just seemed... inconsolable.

Rei shook her head intensely, attempting to physically dislodge the notion from her mind. It was ridiculous. The girls just should have tried harder to make Usagi feel better. And Rei was beginning to think that she should have kept her vision to herself. She had done nothing but put everyone on edge. Now they were all sitting around for a danger than may or may not arrive promptly or at all, and not one of them, including herself, was reacting to it well. Minako was growing quiet and stoic at the threat of impending doom, something that put Rei ill at ease considering her normally outrageous personality. Makoto was getting fidgety and restless. Rei had caught her hands twitching as if wanting to curl into fists several times the day before, and it would likely make her insufferable if things remained calm. Ami had been slightly disconnected, trying to puzzle everything out. The girl had never been able to deal with the ambiguities that Rei's visions often gave them, and usually set herself towards trying to figure them out immediately. In spite of her intelligence, she had minimal success. This did not stop Ami from trying. As for Rei, her grandfather probably would have laughed at her if he knew that she thought she grew more irritable in these situations. It was true, nevertheless.

And Usagi? Well, she was missing, wasn't she?

Rei heaved a quick, frustrated sigh, kicking the air and wishing it were a solid object that could have broken apart. At least it would have made her feel productive. It had been stupid of her to offer to stay back at the shrine and wait for Usagi. Still, she knew someone had to do it, and better it be her than one of the other girls. There had been several times over the past month or so that Usagi had called her in the middle of the night and asked if she could come over, though more often than not, she showed up unannounced. Rei wasn't sure why Usagi chose to come to her as opposed to any of the others, but whatever the case, Usagi had chosen her to be her confidante in these matters. Rei wasn't about to be anywhere else than the most likely place she could think of Usagi going to when she was ready to talk.

But that of course was assuming that Usagi wanted to be found at all.

Rei grunted, kicking once more. There was that blasted thought again. It was becoming a bit of an obsession with her, and that was bothersome. Besides, it was a ridiculous idea to pursue. Usagi would never leave any of them. Especially not Mamoru. At the moment, Mamoru was the crux of her existence, and she would not abandon him.

Rei wondered if she should consider that a form of betrayal.

She heard the door open, and she looked up, her brows furrowed in consternation. It was Yuuichirou, of course. There was a faint blush in his cheeks already, though she almost suspected that it had been there since the night before.

"Don't you knock?" Rei snapped, sitting up and leaning on her elbows. "For all you know I could have been naked." She paused, narrowing her eyes. "What am I saying? That's probably what you were hoping for."

Yuuichirou's blush deepened, and Rei already wished that she hadn't brought it up. "No! No, I wasn't hoping for that at all! I--"

"I was being sarcastic, Yuuichirou," Rei interrupted, sounding like an older sister trying to get rid of a very annoying little brother. "Just tell me what you want so that we can get this over with quickly."

Yuuichirou nodded quickly, always eager to please. "Well, you see, I was... Umm..."

Rei waited a few seconds for him to get to his point before getting snippy. She was in a poor mood to begin with, and therefore in no mood to deal with a lovesick puppy dog, no matter how sweet he had been the night before. "Yuuichirou, if you're going to stand there stuttering for twenty minutes, you might as well leave. I am not in a good mood."

For reasons that bewildered Rei, Yuuichirou seemed to perk up. "Oh! Would you like to--"

"Burn down a few buildings and bash Usagi's head in for making my life so difficult? Yes," Rei groused, falling back on to the bed, folding her arms underneath her head. "Talk with you about it? No."

Yuuichirou's face fell, his shoulders sagging about. "Oh..." he said quietly, shuffling his feet. "Well, I just thought--"

"You thought wrong," Rei said harshly. Then she remembered what Usagi had told her about being mean, and she added, "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I just... need to brood." Then she was overcome with that usual fear of seeming too inviting, especially after than impulsive kiss on the cheek that she was regretting more and more with every second. "You should really know better by now, Yuuichirou."

He nodded slowly, agreeing completely. He swallowed, looking down to the ground as if he might like to crawl underneath it for a rather large chunk of eternity. "All right, Rei. If you change your mind--"

"I won't," Rei said, and thought that maybe she should thank him, but she didn't. She didn't bother to come up with any explanation for why.

Yuuichirou nodded and finally left Rei to her silence, partaking in some of his own as he shut the door behind him.

-----

Upon seeing that Rei had made her way back to the shrine, Cooan had retaken her spot just outside the girl's window, and she had been able to hear everything that transpired through the cracked window, just as before.

Cooan couldn't believe what she had heard. The poor boy may have been delusional in his expectations, but she had been perfectly nice to him the night before. She had been nice enough to him to constitute leading him on, and now she had sent him packing just because she was in a poor mood?

Cooan curled up her fingers, watching as the sharp, purple nails dug into her smooth palms. She couldn't believe the arrogance, the callous flippancy that Hino Rei showed that poor boy when he was so clearly in love with her. She acted as if she could treat him anyway she wanted to, secure in the fact that he would remain near no matter how badly he was treated, and while that may have been true, that didn't give her the right to act like that. People with those feelings should never, ever be treated as if they didn't matter.

Cooan was reminded of her situation with Rubeus. She loved him. She had made that very clear in her actions if not with her words. There was no feasible way that Rubeus could have been unaware of her affections, but still he treated her with the same cold distance as her sisters. Sometimes, he even grew colder towards her, speaking to her harshly and calling her impetuous and childish. And just as quickly as he would spurn her, he apologized and gave her a soft word or two. Any anger she had worked up over the last incident would face, and she was right back at his side again.

Not that she had ever left it in the first place. Rubeus could have done just about anything to her, and she would have stayed by him. Not just out of her loyalty to the Clan, but out of her loyalty to him. Regardless of his tempers, he had always been there for the four sisters. He had trained them, he had watched over them, and he had been the one to suggest that they accompany him on this mission. He was their leader, and no amount of harshness would ever change Cooan's loyalty.

Perhaps she also stayed out of a distant hope that someday, his feelings would be returned.

Though Rubeus paid her attentions no mind, he did not mock her for them. He merely ignored them as if he did not know of their presence. But this girl, this Hino Rei, seemed to take some pleasure in taunting that boy. She kissed him one night and sent him packing the next, all the while knowing how hopeful and earnest he would always be. She was being cruel.

It was at that moment that Cooan decided that no mistake had been made. She had been manipulated into thinking that Hino Rei wasn't as awful as she had been taught. She had fallen prey to the very tactics she no doubt employed to ensure that she wasn't found out immediately. She'd allowed herself to be duped, and she wasn't going to forgive her for it. This horrible little girl was Sailor Mars, and it was time to complete the mission she had been assigned.

Cooan bared her teeth and curled her fingers painfully. Seconds later, her nails extended, glinting dark purple in the afternoon sun. Without wasting another moment, she burst through the closed window, sending a shower of glass throughout the room.

Rei shrieked, sitting straight up on her bed and scooting away from Cooan. She did her best to look simply terrified, but Cooan could see the warrior now as plain as day. It was in the fire in her eyes, in the way she shifted her body to spring away if necessary, and every other facet of her personality and of her soul. Cooan could not believe that she had ever doubted the identity of this girl, angry with herself for being dubious and angry with the girl for being misleading.

"Who are you?" Rei demanded, her right hand curling into a fist. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"My name is Cooan, the youngest of the Four Sisters of the Black Moon Clan, sworn enemies of the White Moon Kingdom, and I'm here for you," Cooan explained clinically, her tinted lips shifting into a cruel smile. "Sailor Mars."

Rei's eyes widened in shock, her back becoming what Cooan would have thought was impossibly rigid. "What? How do--"

Before their confrontation had a chance to continue, Yuuichirou burst back into the room. He took one look at Cooan and turned white as a sheet. He took another look at Rei and narrowed his eyes, leaping in between Cooan and Rei.

"Yuuichirou!" Rei yelled, sounding as if she was trying to decide between being surprised and being furious.

Cooan sneered, her eyes darkening. She gestured threateningly, her temper stirred by this boy's appearance. That girl, Sailor Mars, had made her feelings for him all too clear. She cared for him about as much as she cared for something stuck to her shoe, but there he was, prepared to defend her when she was the last person who needed or wanted his protection. It was all too frustrating for her to endure. "Move over, boy. My business isn't with you."

"If you want to lay a hand on Rei, you have to go through me first!" Yuuichirou said bravely, perspiration dotting on his forehead. He was afraid and he would have liked nothing better than to run. Yet still, he stood his ground.

Cooan rolled her eyes. "Oh, as if I have time for this."

"Yuuichirou, stop this!" Rei shouted, not moving from her position on the bed. "You're being an idiot!"

He nodded. "That may be true, but I'm still not going to let her hurt you, Rei," he informed her gravely, narrowing his gaze further. "So you might as well just leave."

Rei narrowed her eyes, no longer so worried and now completely irritated with him. "Stop being an idiot! You can't--"

"You're being the idiot!" Yuuichirou cried, showing more backbone than either woman had ever seen him show. He regretted his outburst, shutting his eyes heavily. He took a breath and said, "Rei, get out of here."

Rei shook her head, unwilling to leave. "But--"

"Go!" Yuuichirou barked, surprising her again with his nerve.

Rei stared at Yuuichirou for what may as well have been an hour. Cooan could have knocked him out of the way at any time, but she was almost interested to see what the two of them would do in their current situation. She couldn't deny that she had some interest in what happened to them. She could see Rei striving to make her decision. No matter what she did, Yuuichirou had no intention of moving and leaving Rei open to attack. She was the one who should be protecting him, but it was obvious that he had no idea of her identity. She had no intention of revealing it, and if she left, she would have time to transform. It would be the sensible thing to do, but the Sailor Senshi all had a very strange idea of what being noble was.

Finally, a decision was made. Rei looked up at Cooan, gazing over Yuuichirou's shoulder. "If you hurt him, I will kill you."

Before Cooan had any more time to react, Rei threw herself off the bed, landing heavily on the ankle that wasn't wrapped in medical tape. She took off running immediately, pulling a pink calculate from the pocket on her blouse.

Recognizing it from legend and history, Cooan snarled and levitated into the air, prepared to follow her. The last thing she needed was the other four Senshi coming to interfere. One civilian was proving troublesome enough. "Oh, no you don't."

Yuuichirou moved in front of her, almost too quickly for her to realize that he was even in her way. He looked up at her in foolish bravery, extending his arms to keep Cooan from going after Rei. "Don't move," he ordered, as if he had any authority.

Cooan laughed at him, folding her arms in front of her chest. "It's foolish to protect her. She doesn't even care about you."

Cooan could see his green eyes widen beneath his unruly bangs, wounded and knowing that she was right. However, a moment later, he was shaking his head, and his eyes reverted back to their original gaze of courage and defiance. "That may be true," he conceded, his voice unwavering for the first time since he'd run through the door. "But maybe she can learn."

She sniffed derisively. "She was right about one thing," she told him, flexing her fingers. "You are an idiot."

-----

Ami could not recall the last time she had made such a horrible mistake.

She had made the very large error of asking Usagi's mother where her daughter was. Granted, that had been precisely what she had gone to their home to figure out, but she must have said in such a way that made Ikuko suspicious of her motives. She asked why she wasn't with Ami and why Ami didn't know where she was and why she had not gotten the information from Usagi herself before she left school. Ami wasn't quite sure how Ikuko had managed it, but it hadn't taken very long for Ami to admit that she was worried because Usagi had not been in school that day.

Needless to say, Tsukino Ikuko had not been pleased.

Before Ami had been cognizant of what was going on, Ikuko had pulled her inside and sat her on the couch, grilling her about her daughter's current disposition as well as the various places that Usagi could have been. To be perfectly frank, Ami found her terrifying and now understood why Usagi was so frantic to hide every poor test she'd ever been handed back.

Ikuko was currently calling every number she had, asking them if they had seen Usagi at all that day. Judging by Ikuko's tone, Ami could venture that things weren't going well. Unfortunately, every time Ami was brave enough to offer to go out and look for Usagi herself, Ikuko ordered her back to her seat.

Ami was effectively trapped by the woman's temper, and it was endlessly frustrating. Of course, she had no one but herself to blame for upsetting Ikuko, but she wished that she could be released. There were other places that Ami had wanted to check. For instance, it had occurred to Ami on the way there that she should head to the hospital to see if perhaps Usagi had gone to see Mamoru. She was annoyed with herself for not thinking of it before, but none of them had been thinking straight. Even if she had thought of it, Usagi's house was closer than the hospital, so she would have gone there first to begin with. Her position would have been hopeless regardless.

Still, Ami couldn't help but sit on her hands to keep from wringing them anxiously. Ikuko was doing more than enough of that for both of them.

"Damn it," Ikuko swore, slamming the phone down into the receiver.

Ami looked up, a little worried at addressing the frantic woman, but at the same time wondering what had prompted her reaction. "What is it?"

Ikuko turned to her, her jaw clenched in a way that made her look unpleasant. "I've just tried reaching the shrine three times, but there's been no answer."

Ami blinked in surprise. She knew that Grandpa had been busy with some sort of business with the bank over the past few days, but there was no reason why Rei or Yuuichirou hadn't answered the phone. Yuuichirou was almost always there, and Ami knew that Rei had agreed to be there on the off-chance that Usagi showed up. "Are you sure you had the number right?"

"Yes!" Ikuko snapped, a little too unkindly. She put a hand to her forehead when she saw Ami jump, sighing. "I'm sorry. I'm not upset with you... It's just that Usagi has been acting so strangely every since... ever since the hospital."

Ami bit her lip when she heard Ikuko's voice start to break. She realized that she should have been more sympathetic towards the woman immediately. She'd had been forced to witness Usagi's breakdown just like the rest of them, but she had also had absolutely no idea what caused it. She was likely having a harder time than all of the girls combined as she was constantly dealing with Usagi's mental state but without the slightest idea what was wrong.

"I just don't know what's wrong," Ikuko confessed, sounding very tired and very alarmed. "I thought it might be because of that boy, but then I heard that he was going to be all right. I can understand Usagi feeling a little guilty, but this..." Ikuko shook her head, her long, dark hair moving in time with her neck. "I don't know. Maybe I should have pushed harder to move when all of this began. These weird incidents and demons and whatever else keep popping up around Juuban. But Kenji's job, Shingo and Usagi's school..." Ikuko took a deep breath, covering her eyes with her palm. Ami suspected that she'd begun to cry. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Ami opened her mouth, beginning to stand to say something reassuring to Ikuko, but just then, Ami heard a beeping coming from her briefcase. She narrowed her eyes, looking down to it with a worried expression. Granted, when Rei had called them yesterday, it had meant nothing...

But now Rei wasn't answering her phone.

Ami reached down and grabbed her briefcase, bounding to her feet. She headed towards the door in a swirl of skirt, apologizing profusely as she walked. "I'm very sorry about everything Mrs. Tsukino. I promise that if I see Usagi, I'll send her straight home. But I have to go."

"Go?" Ikuko asked, sniffing. "Go where? And what's that noise?"

Ami didn't answer, continuing to walk briskly out the door, reaching down in her briefcase to retrieve the communicator and see what the matter was. She was having a hard time getting her shoes on at the same time, but she managed it before Ikuko caught up with her. She threw open the door, apologizing again, and then closing it in Ikuko's face.

Ami didn't even look back when Ikuko opened the door and called after her. She just jogged faster as her fingers closed around her communicator, hoping for the best.

-----

Makoto leaned over the counter again, leering at Motoki in a way that was making him decidedly nervous. He might have been cute and his girlfriend might have been in Africa and she might now be blowing whatever chances she had with him should that relationship fail, but she didn't care for the moment. Finding Usagi was important, and if she had to frighten Motoki into giving up information, she would do it.

"You're absolutely positive that you haven't seen Usagi today?" Makoto repeated for the second time, narrowing her eyes. She flexed her fingers subtly, but he noticed the movement and swallowed.

"Yes," he answered again, his voice betraying his nervousness.

Makoto leaned forward more, now completely curling up her first, forgoing subtly. "And you wouldn't lie to me? Not even if she asked you to?"

Motoki shook his head adamantly. "No! I promise!"

Makoto was now leaning over the counter so much that she had to stand on her tiptoes, and considering her height, that was saying something. She studied Motoki for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he was lying to her. A moment later, she sighed, flopping down onto the counter, her forehead resting against the cool surface even though she felt anything but cool. "You're not lying. Damn it."

Motoki wasn't certain how he should respond to that, save sound relieved. "Thank you?"

Makoto looked up, resting her chin in the palm of her left hand. "I'm sorry, Motoki. It's just... Usagi hasn't been herself lately--"

"I heard," Motoki said with a nod, smiling kindly in favor of verbally telling Makoto that she was forgiven.

Makoto looked up, surprised. "You did? From who?"

"Minako came in a couple days ago," Motoki told her, reaching for a dirty glass and rag, beginning to clean it. "She told me about what happened in case I wanted to go see Mamoru."

"Oh," Makoto said, frowning a bit at the mention of Minako. She hadn't been particularly happy with her after their conversation the day before, but she couldn't say she was much better for abandoning Minako after Usagi had hit her, something Makoto was still having trouble grasping. She'd wanted to speak with both blondes about the day before, but she hadn't gotten a chance to as of yet. She was worried for them both, but of course, Usagi was more important. "She didn't tell me she was doing that."

Motoki chuckled awkwardly. "You sound as if she did something wrong."

Makoto looked up at him, her gaze serious, but she dropped it a moment later, seeming thoughtful. Yes, she had been acting as if Minako had done something wrong. That was the problem.

"Anyway," Motoki said, changing the subject. "Why are you looking for Usagi so... aggressively?"

Makoto smiled softly, though her heart wasn't in it. "It might not be a big deal, but she wasn't in school today. And with the way she's been acting--"

"You're worried about her," Motoki finished, his eyes narrowing. "And maybe with good reason. Usagi may not enjoy going, but it still isn't like her to skip school."

"I know," Makoto said, curling up her fist. "I know."

Motoki pondered this information for a moment, wiping the same area of the glass long after it had been shined. After awhile, he blinked and raised his voice, a little excited at his idea. "Have you thought about checking the hospital? Maybe she just went to see Mamoru."

Makoto stared at him for a moment, not so much because of his suggestion but because she hadn't thought of it herself long ago. She hit the counter lightly,  
more frustrated than anything else with this new lead, shaking her head. "Of course, that's exactly where she'd go. It's what she's so upset about, so why wouldn't she... God, I am such an--"

Before Makoto could finish her sentence, she heard a familiar beeping coming from her pocket. She reached into it, staring at the pink rectangle in surprise. Had one of the other girls thought to look for Usagi in the hospital? Or had she made her way to the shrine as Rei had expected she would? And if either of those were true, why did Makoto have a very strange feeling in the bit of her stomach.

"You know," Motoki said. "I never understood why all of you girls had pink beepers."

Makoto turned and stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head, her ponytail whipping around violently. She reached down and gathered her things, turning on her heel. "Sorry, Motoki. I have to go."

"Hey!" he called after her, slowing her down, but not bringing her to a halt. "Let me know when you find Usagi, okay? And I'll keep an eye out for her."

Makoto nodded. "Thanks, Motoki."

She pushed her way out the door, hastening her pace with each step. She stared down at the communicator in her hand, her thumb moving her to press the button to receive the call.

-----

"Usagi?" Minako called out in a voice that was barely above a whisper as a trio of screaming children ran past her. She looked around as they passed, paying no attention to detail as she moved briskly over the well-worn path. She did briefly pause at the sign of a blonde ponytail and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was not who she thought it was.

Of course, it had occurred to Minako several times during this endeavor that she should have been putting forth a considerably larger effort into tracking down the missing princess, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was worried about Usagi's well-being just as much as any of the other girls, but she was in a rather awkward situation. After all, Usagi had never slapped any of the others across the face, had she?

Minako slowed to a stop, gently fingering her mouth, flinching slightly. Usagi hadn't hit her as hard as she was able to, so she hadn't left any discernable mark,  
but her lips were still sensitive to the touch. It was a very vivid reminder for a misdeed Minako didn't think she had committed.

Minako sighed quietly and plopped down on a nearby bench, rationalizing that her feet needed a break seeing as she'd also searched the length of the Juuban Shopping District over the past few hours. She'd ducked out of classes early, determined to figure out what was going on before she had bothered to realize just how much she didn't actually want to find Usagi. She wanted her to be at home in bed or at the arcade eating a sundae and pouring her heart out to Motoki or at the shrine waiting for Rei so that one of the other girls could find her. She did not want Usagi to be anywhere that she could find her. She told herself that it was because she didn't want to upset Usagi anymore, but really Minako knew it was because she didn't want to face Usagi. Not after what Minako had said and not after what Usagi had done.

She leaned her head back and shut her aching eyes to the ill-placed sun, mulling over the past twenty four hours. She had spent much of the school day (well, what she had bothered to stay for anyway) thinking back on the day before. Minako had thought that maybe there was a way she could have phrased it so that Usagi wouldn't have had such a violent reaction, or maybe there was a look she could have given Makoto to have the brunette do something other than follow Usagi inside without another word. Of course, this sort of reminiscing did nothing more than make her feel even worse about what had happened, and it was part of the reason why Minako had gone out to search. She preferred action to thought, and she had thought that the search would have been a welcome distraction.

Then she'd stopped trying, and thinking was all she was doing that was of any consequence.

"You're blaming yourself again, aren't you?" a familiar voice asked from by her feet.

Minako looked down to see her feline companion sitting next to her patent leather shoes, his green eyes wide with an oddly paternal worry. She sighed and resumed her previous position. "You're so sure you can tell what I'm thinking based on my facial expression?"

"I'm sure that you're thinking that you could have done something differently," Artemis supplied.

Minako shrugged. "Maybe I could have."

Artemis sighed, hopping up on the bench beside her. She felt his whiskers brushing up against the bare skin of her arm as he spoke. "And maybe Usagi was too upset to think straight and needed someone to blame. And maybe Makoto went with Usagi because she was clearly the more disturbed of the two of you."

"Sure," Minako said, not without her share of bitterness. "I would certainly abandon the girl who got slapped by her best friend. She wouldn't be damaged at all."

"You're not being fair," Artemis said.

"Well, neither were they," Minako murmured softly. "And I know I'm being stupid and childish, but... sometimes I miss it."

Artemis was confused. She could tell that by the way his whiskers moved against her skin. He was tilting his head to the side, a sure sign that he was puzzled. "You miss what?"

Minako opened her eyes and turned her head to look down at him, her face and voice gravely serious. She sighed and said, "I miss what life was like before you came along."

Artemis blinked, looking hurt, but neither of them had time to continue the conversation. In the silence, Minako could hear her communicator going off as plain as a siren even though she wasn't entirely sure where she'd stashed it. She was on her feet in a moment, her eyes narrowed in determination as if the last few moments had not happened. Then again, Minako did have a tendency to compartmentalize, so Artemis wouldn't have been surprised if she had pushed their conversation completely out of her mind, as if it had been nothing more than a dream that would be forgotten if she moved away from it.

"It might be good news," Artemis chided as Minako scooped him up.

Minako shook her head, too certain to be swayed by his words. "If it was good news, they wouldn't call me."

-----

After Usagi had finally gotten control of herself, she'd apologized for her outburst, but Mamoru hadn't seemed to notice that. They'd fallen into a somewhat awkward conversation about whether she was all right, whether he was all right, and whether everyone else was all right. Their talk had progressed from there, speaking without actually saying much of anything as things were decidedly awkward between the two of them.

Usagi couldn't say how much time had passed when she finally worked up the courage. "I didn't get a chance to thank you," she said softly, glancing down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. She didn't know if it was in an effort to keep them from trembling or so that she could seem older than she was.

Mamoru blinked, not quite understanding. "For what? I just--"

"You saved me," Usagi insisted, looking up earnestly. "Or you tried anyway. And you... You didn't run away."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes, perhaps a little insulted by that. "Of course I didn't run away. You were screaming and everything was going to hell. I wasn't just going to leave you there."

"A lot of people would have," Usagi said sadly, knowing firsthand just how selfish other people could be in times of crisis. She had seen friends leave other friends behind when they were in danger plenty of times while fighting the various and sundry beings that insisted on attack Tokyo. It depressed her, how people could behave towards each other. She was glad to see that Mamoru was not one of those people. She couldn't have loved him if he was. "I think it's... very noble. That you stayed."

Mamoru looked at her for a moment, his face softening over time. After awhile, he almost smiled. "I'm not like that. Not selfish or noble. I'm just--"

"No," she interrupted sharply, making him jump a little. She probably should have apologized for her vigor, but she never did that. She just shook her head adamantly, reaching forward and taking his hand boldly. "You're wrong. It was noble and brave and a whole lot of other things."

He looked at her for a moment, his eyes flitting down to their hands. It made her self-conscious, but at the same time, she couldn't convince her fingers that it was best if they moved themselves off his skin. She couldn't make herself think that, not when she knew that it was right and that it was what she wanted more than anything.

He sighed and said, "I still think you're wrong, but I should know better than to argue with you... Frankly, I think I was stupid above all else."

Usagi blinked, unsure of what to make of that. Did he mean that it was stupid of him to stay behind for her? Did he regret his actions? Was that why he was refusing to take the compliment? She felt her mouth go dry as she asked, "Stupid? But why?"

Mamoru shut his eyes, hitting his head on his pillows harmlessly. "Because you tried to tell me not to go up there. You knew something was wrong, and you told me that. But did I listen?"

Usagi's eyes softened in sympathy even as her shoulders sagged in relief. "You had no way of knowing. You had no reason to listen to me. I mean, it's not like I'm right very often."

He gave her an odd look when she said that, one that she couldn't read. She felt embarrassed when he looked her directly in the eye, which was what he was doing now, and she looked down, her cheeks coloring. She didn't look up again until he spoke, saying, "I've been wondering about that actually."

Usagi tipped her head to the side, puzzled. "Wondering about what?"

Mamoru furrowed his brow, his voice very serious. He licked his lips, sitting up a bit in bed. She was suddenly even more aware of her hands resting over his and thought about moving them again. All she could do was tighten her grip.

"How did you know?"

Usagi blinked, leaning back in her seat. She had never thought about him throwing that question at her. She should have counted on it. She had been babbling about an alien tree long before the Makaiju had actually attacked, and it only made sense that Mamoru would realize that there was something wrong with that. It wouldn't be hard for him to realize who she was from there, and maybe then he would remember everything else. It wasn't hard.

But what made it even more frustrating was that he hadn't yet.

Usagi bent her head, shutting her eyes to stop herself from crying again. It was ridiculous, crying this much. She knew that even though it was her nature to shed tears over everything that went wrong. But Rei and the others didn't fall apart like this, and she should learn to be like them. Luna said so often enough.

At the same time, she knew she would never learn to be like them. Not as long as she was apart from Mamoru. There was no way she could be strong when it felt like there was a hole in her heart, a wound that only he could heal. Until then, she would be weakened, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. No one except for him.

"Usagi?" he asked, sounding concerned. "Are you all right."

She shook her head. "No. No, I'm not."

Before Mamoru could ask her what was wrong, Usagi heard her communicator go off. She sighed in vexation, looking up at the ceiling to keep her tears from spilling down her cheeks. "No!" she hissed selfishly. "Not now! Any time but now!"

Mamoru looked around, searching for the strange beeping sound, a little worried that it was one of the machines he was hooked up to. "What is that?"

Usagi swallowed on a tight throat, quickly getting to her throat. She may not have wanted it, but she had to answer her communicator. She'd ignored it earlier, but if she kept doing that, the others were likely to track her down. The last thing she needed was Rei snapping at her or Minako anywhere near her. The best thing to do was see what was wrong, and she certainly couldn't do that with Mamoru in the room.

Besides, there was a chance that something else had gone wrong.

"I'm sorry, but I guess I have to go," Usagi said, turning to walk out the door. "It's probably just as well. That nurse won't leave you alone forever, right?"

"But you didn't answer my question!" Mamoru called out after her. "How did you know about Natsumi and Seijuurou?"

Usagi stopped with her hand on the doorknob again. She felt her shoulders shake before she was cognizant of the tears falling on to her cheeks. She wondered if Mamoru noticed either of them.

"And you call me an idiot," she whispered sadly before turning the doorknob and fleeing his room, running into the hallway as fast as her legs could carry her.

-----

The other girls answered Rei's call at almost exactly the same time.

"Rei, what's going on?" Ami questioned, her voice anxious.

"Did you find Usagi?" Makoto asked hopefully.

Minako was brusque, as if already certain of disaster. "What happened?"

Usagi didn't say anything when she answered, but Rei knew she was there all the same. She could hear her sniffling.

Rei was tempted to snap at her for not answering their calls earlier, but she knew that now wasn't the time for that. She had no idea how long she had before Cooan made it past Yuuichirou, but she knew it wasn't endless. As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite of endless. She probably only had a few seconds before Cooan came flying after her, and she was going to attempt to outrun her on a sprained ankle. Needless to say, she was not especially fond of her odds.

"There's been an attack at the shrine," Rei explained quickly, glancing over her shoulder. No Cooan yet at least. "Some weird woman I've never seen before just showed up out of nowhere. She's already done property damage, and Yuuichirou had to go and be all noble."

Rei's eyes closed as she thought back to how Yuuichirou had behaved back in her room. She didn't deserve that kind of loyalty from him. She'd been kind to him one night, only to be cruel the next day. If anything, he should have saved himself, but he wasn't like that. He was almost as painfully selfless as Usagi could be, and sometimes she found herself hating them both for it. "Damn him! He's going to get himself killed just because--"

"Rei, calm down," Ami soothed. "No one is going to get themselves killed. It is going to be okay."

"How am I supposed to be calm?" Rei countered, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I had to leave him to call you guys, and it's not like we're just dealing with some youma here. I can sense a great deal of power from her, and I am not up to it. I still haven't recovered, and she can tell."

"Wonderful," Makoto groused, her breath growing harder as she upped her jog to a full out run.

"It gets better," Rei added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "She knows that I'm Sailor Mars."

"What?" Usagi asked, speaking for the first time, her voice strangled. "But how--"

"I don't know; I don't care," Rei interrupted. She had no patience for trying to figure that out. All she wanted to do with go back to Yuuichirou, but she couldn't. Not until they were done.

"Rei's right," Minako said. She had been panting since she got on the line, and Rei suddenly knew that she could count on Minako to wrap this up. "What matters is that she's dangerous. Rei, hold her off for as long as you can. I'll be there in ten minutes. Hopefully less than that."

The others echoed similar sentiments, and Rei shut off the transmission, pulling out her henshin pen in the same movement. She looked down at it, slowly coming to a halt.

This was the sort of thing that a hero carried, but did a hero really act like she did? Yes, Rei could rationalize it by saying that she'd been stressed, but when wasn't she stressed? Furthermore, she could say that she always acted like that, but it didn't make it right. Yuuichirou was always doing things like this for her, and she was always treating him like crap. Now she had no idea what was happening to him, and she'd left him to protect her identity. That certainly didn't feel very heroic.

If anything, Yuuichirou was the nobler of the two. He was the one who operated without an agenda. He was the one who could be clumsy, who could be moronic, but he was always devoted and he never stopped trying, and all for her sake. He was the one who sat up with her in the night when she was worried even if she was teasing him. He was the one who protected her after she'd just thrown him out of her room. He was the only one brave enough to call her an idiot, and the only one kind enough to be sorry about it afterwards. All this he had done for her, but Rei never learned her lesson. She wasn't foolish enough to vow that she would change. She didn't have time to make any vows. She could only fight and hope that she came out of it doing the right thing.

Before she let any more time pass, Rei lifted the pen aloft and cried out, "MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"

Cooan appeared mere seconds later, looking just as put together as she had been when she arrived, meaning that Yuuichirou hadn't put up much of a struggle. Mars hadn't heard him cry out, and she wasn't sure whether that was something to give her comfort or alarm. Still, she didn't feel any overwhelming sense of dread, so she forced herself to believe that everything was going to be all right, just as Ami had told her.

It was the only thing she could cling to.

Sailor Mars turned to face her opponent, now favoring her uninjured ankle even more than before. She had been warned not to run on it, and she had been hoping that she would be able to obey the doctor's orders for once. As usual, they would both be disappointed.

Mars knew that she was at something of a disadvantage with her injury, but she had to do her best to stall Cooan until the others could arrive. In her current state, Mars was even more certain that Cooan would not be as easy to beat as a youma or a cardian. She had a feeling it would be a bit more like going up against a Shitennou or one of the aliens themselves. She was not looking forward to fighting that battle alone, knowing that she had no chance of winning. She was still suffering from the effects of the last battle, ankle not withstanding. All she could do was survive, and ensure that a certain friend of hers was extended the same courtesy.

"Where's Yuuichirou?" Mars demanded, her voice a bit frantic. She was counting on that boy's irrepressible will to live. He'd nearly gotten himself killed in several situations on her behalf, and had miraculously survived them all. However, the more Mars thought about it, the more she was certain that she'd been the stupid one in that room, just as Yuuichirou had said. "What did you do to him?"

"He'll live," Cooan said in a simple, cruel tone. "As I said, he was not my prey. I could have gotten rid of him altogether, but I felt pity after what you had done to him."

Mars snorted, looking skeptical. "You can pity?"

Cooan narrowed her eyes, clearly insulted. "I'm not as demonic as you women... No, you girls like to make me out to be. And spare me your false concern for that boy, Sailor Mars. I know just how much you feel for him, and it's appalling. Perhaps I should have killed him just to spare him the pain you cause him."

Mars narrowed her eyes and all but shrieked at Cooan. She couldn't believe her audacity, let alone her rationale. She was now even more concerned about Yuuichirou, wondering if Cooan had underestimated whatever harm she'd done to him. She wanted nothing more than to run back inside and check on him, but she knew that she'd never be able to outrun Cooan. "Don't act sympathetic after hurting him! And don't act like you know anything about me!"

Cooan glared, almost curling up her fists, but then remembering her nails. It wouldn't do her to stab herself, now, would it? "You stupid brat! I probably know you better than that boy and a lot of other people besides! I know who you really are, and I don't just mean your identity. I've seen who you become, and believe me, you don't get to act all high and mighty to me! I know you!" Cooan shook her head, regarding Sailor Mars with a kind of disgust she was used to feeling for others. She had no idea how to react now that it was turned on to her. "You Senshi think you're so righteous, when really you're the ones who should pay. What you have done is sickening, and we are going to make sure every last one of you is held responsible for it!"

Mars stared at her, completely confused about what this woman was babbling about. For one thing, she was certain that she had never seen her before in her life, so there was no possible way that she could have known her. Even if she did recognize her, Mars suspected that she would have no idea what she was talking about. The woman's ramblings resembled those of a madman's, and perhaps they weren't meant to make sense at all. Still, she tried to make sense of it all, but found herself failing miserably. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the future," Cooan growled in a way that didn't seem very feline to Sailor Mars. "The one that you ruin."

Mars blinked, finding that she was gaping. Of all the things she'd expected to hear, that was certainly at the bottom of the list. Hell, it wasn't even on the list.

Still, she didn't have very much time to contemplate it as her opponent leapt into the air. Cooan practically flew forward, her nails extended to tear Sailor Mars to shreds. Her goal was now all too obvious, and it seemed that she wasn't willing to waste any more of her time chatting about it.

Sailor Mars narrowed her eyes, keeping her weight on her good leg and preparing to spin out of the way at the last moment. Unfortunately, Cooan seemed to anticipate this move, vanishing just three feet away from where Mars stood. The red Senshi looked around frantically, trying to figure out where Cooan had disappeared to. She knew that the other woman couldn't have gone far. She had it out for Mars and wouldn't leave her on a whim.

As it turned out, Sailor Mars should have checked the most obvious place first. She felt something hard, possibly the heel of Cooan's shoe, slam into the back of her neck. It sent her sprawling onto the pavement, landing hard on her side. Pain shot throughout her body, and Mars had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. She was having a hard enough time allowing herself wince at being caught with such a cheap shot. A cheap shot she should have seen coming.

Mars glanced toward the shrine, looking for some sign of Yuuichirou. She didn't see anything at all.

Before she had a chance to scramble to her feet, Cooan vanished, reappearing just above Mars faster than the other girl could blink. Shepinned the girl's arms down, kneeling on her legs to keep her from kicking. Mars struggled beneath her, trying to wiggle her legs free to kick her off. Cooan looked like a pushover, but she was actually quite strong, and Mars was having a hard time trying to get free.

Mars strained for a few moments before turning and scowling at Cooan, looking directly into her eyes. "What do you mean you're from the future?" she demanded haughtily. "That would mean--"

"That we traveled through time?" Cooan hissed, tightening her grip on Mars's arms. Mars flinched, and she only seemed to increase it once she saw the other girl having a reaction. Her nails, though they had retracted, were still painful as they dug into her arms. "Funnily enough, that's precisely what we did. To get rid of you people before you have a chance to ruin everything."

Mars nearly got one of her legs free, but Cooan repositioned herself so that her heel was digging into her bad ankle. Mars's face screwed up in pain. She could feel it start to swell up again, but she was more upset that Cooan had just erased any chance of being able to launch any sort of physical assault once she managed to get free. If she managed to get free.

"How could we have ruined anything?" Mars asked, her temper rising. "We wouldn't do that!"

Cooan laughed, shaking her head and leaning forward. "You know, that's exactly what's wrong with you people. You're so convinced of your honor and nobility that you don't see just how horrible you've really become."

Mars narrowed her eyes, unwilling to endure this kind of abuse for something she knew nothing about. She shook her head and ground out, "You attack an innocent person, and you think I'm the bad guy?"

She bent her neck back and brought her head up fast, hitting Cooan hard in the forehead. It didn't do much to spare her any pain either, but the results were more than worth it. The purple clad woman reared back on instinct, giving Mars time to push her away. Cooan fell back, landing on her backside, and glared up at Sailor Mars from in between her fingers.

Mars got to her feet, her ankle throbbing even more than before. She stumbled a bit, nearly cursing herself for revealing just how much of a handicap Cooan had managed to give herself. She pulled out several ofunda, still furious. "You can act as righteous as you want, but these will still work on you... AKU RYO TAI SEN!"

Cooan looked up, curling her lip. She held out her hand, and seconds later, fire the color of a frozen lake surged out of her fingertips. It curved and twisted out of her hand like a snake, swerving in the direction of Mars's attack as if it could see it coming.

Sailor Mars could do nothing but watch in mute horror as the cold-looking fire ate away the strips of paper, rendering them nothing more than useless ash. The flames may have looked like ice, but Mars could feel their heat from where she stood, looking up at Cooan with an expression of shock clearly reading on her features. She couldn't believe that this woman shared her element, much less a knowledge of her future. There was clearly something more to this. "You said you know me," Sailor Mars recalled, her voice barely above a whisper. "How?"

Cooan couldn't believe that she hadn't figured it out by now. Mars could tell that much from her looks, even before she started to speak. "Do you really think this is my first time to face you?" Cooan spat, looking insulted. "I've fought you once already!" She paused, looking over at Mars cruelly. "And you were a lot better last time."

Now it Mars's turn to be insulted. She glared unpleasantly, pulling out another ofunda. This time, she added her fire power to the mix, calling out, "FIRE SOUL BIRD!" A phoenix born from the flames of Mars appeared before her, crying out a warning for Cooan, to flee or be harmed.

Cooan paid it no mind. In fact, just as before, she seemed to have been expecting it. A second later, she had vanished from where she stood once more.

Recognizing the trick, Sailor Mars whirled around, prepared to face her once again. Her dark eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Cooan or her attacks. She did not see any immediately, and she had to quash a scream that was rising in her throat. She wanted nothing more than to be done with this and check on Yuuichirou, but she could scarcely move three feet. How was she supposed to win?

She heard the bird searching for its prey behind her, as it would not dissipate until it found a target. It flapped its wings, the fire crackling and absorbing the oxygen in the air in order to keep breathing. This could go on for hours, though it would have been taxing on Sailor Mars. But still, it would not vanish until its thirst for blood had been satisfied or until Mars told it to rest.

Suddenly she heard it cry out again and change direction.

Sailor Mars looked around frantically, trying to figure out where the bird had gone. But even with that aid, she never saw the real attack coming. She merely felt Cooan's fire bear down on her head, and it was then that Mars realized that she was going to have to accept defeat.

It was just as hot as she had anticipated, but twice as painful. She collapsed instantly, screaming loud enough to wake the deaf and the dead while the blue flames engulfed her. She tucked her head in an attempt to protect herself, but it seemed that the fire could find her anywhere. No amount of ducking was protecting her. It felt like her entire body was on fire for a number of long, excruciating seconds.

She was given a brief reprieve when her own attack hit home. She was given the all too short satisfaction of hearing Cooan shriek in pain and the bird screech at her for harming its mistress. Unfortunately, she was able to dispel it after a few moments, and once that was done, Cooan was that much more determined to make Mars suffer. She attacked again, this one even stronger than the one before. And Mars's screams were doubled alongside it, her pride forgotten or perhaps cast aside in favor of it.

Thankfully, Mars wasn't conscious long enough to feel the entire length of Cooan's attack. She passed out after another thirty seconds, but Cooan didn't let up until after sixty had passed.

Cooan finally halted her assault, letting her arms drop to her sides. She looked down at the prone body of her opponent, waiting for her to roll over and fire her own attack up at Cooan. When she didn't, Cooan decided it was safe to assume that the younger girl was unconscious and that it was safe to take her back to the Black Moon Base currently floating higher than the sky.

Cooan dropped down beside her, struggling to lift her up. Mars's previous attack had gone right for her arms, perhaps sensing that her power was coming from there or perhaps just attacking them out of pure luck. Nevertheless, her arms and sleeves were scorched horribly, and tears were filling in her eyes because of it. The girl had done her wrong once again, even now when she had less power and less skill. She was tempted just to kill her now and call it an accident, but she resisted the temptation. If Prince Demando wanted a public execution, he would get one. And Cooan was not about to exchange Mars's head for her own.

As she worked to heave the smaller girl up, Mars's neck flopped over to the side, allowing Cooan a look at her face. Her eyes were shut at that moment, but she couldn't help but remember when they had been open and filled with passion at the idea that the boy who was living with her, the one Cooan was certain she didn't care about, had been harmed.

Cooan shook her head. What did it matter how she thought about that boy? Nothing mattered except getting back to the base so that she could begin to heal. The longer she sat around, the more time the wound had to begin to scar, and there was no way in hell she was going to live her life with mangled arms.

With that in mind, she began to ascend into the air, preparing to work up enough energy to teleport back to the base with her injuries and another body.

"Sailor Mars!" someone screamed.

Cooan looked up and saw three of the other Sailor Senshi running towards them. She all but cursed at the sight of them. She'd been so close to getting out of there without an all-out fight, but it looked like that wasn't going to be the case. Her best bet was to teleport out of there before they could attack.

Unfortunately for her, that wasn't going to happen.

Sailor Venus had managed to make it to the head of the pack, but she was the first one who stopped, pointing one finger in Cooan's direction. She shut one eye, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth before she fired wordlessly. Her familiar looking Crescent Beam shot forward with a speed that continued to surprise Cooan. Her precision, on the other hand, did not. Venus's attacks were made for this sort of thing, so Cooan was not surprised when the golden beam of light impacted her shoulder. Nevertheless, she was still enraged, even as she lost her grip on Mars, dropping her back to the ground.

Her three comrades ran forward, catching her haphazardly before she hit her head. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus immediately set to checking on her, but Jupiter had never had that kind of patience. She looked up at Cooan and shouted, "How dare you attack her! I'm not going to forgive you for this!"

"I was wondering when you girls were going to break out the speeches," Cooan snarled, her fingers itching to touch her wounded arms. "You're usually better at them."

Mercury looked up, confused at these words, but neither Venus nor Jupiter seemed to notice, too preoccupied with their respective tasks.

Jupiter sprang forward, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Cooan recognized the move, teleporting away just in time to avoid the crackling lightning that might have made the entire trip useless and unsuccessful. Cooan reappeared some feet away, extending her nails once more and taking a swipe at Jupiter's head.

Sailor Jupiter yelped, ducking just in time to spare her face from getting clawed. Cooan followed up quickly, dragging her nails down her left arm, drawing a fair amount of blood. Jupiter winced, but refused to show any more pain than that, just as prideful as Mars was. She reached around with her other arm, taking a swing to make up for the blow she had taken. Cooan jumped back and was forced to go on the defensive for a few moment, having to continue moving away from her primary target in order to avoid Jupiter's physical assault. Jupiter had always excelled in this kind of combat, and while Cooan had been trained in all aspects of fighting, this was really more Petz's area. It was why she and Jupiter were so well matched after all. Cooan had no idea how she managed to move out of the way of almost every punch and kick thrown at her. A few nicked her, but none did any serious damage to her skin, especially her arms, which she was guarding even more steadfastly than her head.

Cooan allowed this to go on for a few minutes, unable to stop long enough to regain her center. Finally, she teleported out of the way of what would have been a vicious kick, reappearing just a few feet away. It was just far enough to ensure that Jupiter wouldn't have a chance to try and attack her again.

"Enough of this," Cooan hissed, holding out her hand again. Her same attack shot forward, taking Jupiter completely by surprise. The girl was thrown back into a tree, her back connecting with the trunk with a sickening thud. Several of the paper wishes tied to the branches fell off, littering the dirt like morning snowflakes.

Cooan whirled around, preparing herself for one of the other Senshi to take Jupiter's place as if one Senshi had never left. As she suspected, Venus was moving forward, but it was Sailor Mercury who attacked. She cast a fog in order to hide Mars from Cooan for a few moments, buying them some time.

She screamed in frustration and immediately began swiping at the air, her nails and hands tearing through the cold moisture in the hopes that she would run into one of her opponents. "Where are you?" she called out, impulsively giving away her position, but not particularly caring.

She wouldn't know until later if the tactic worked to her advantage. But for the moment, it didn't as she saw the fog shift to her right. Cooan turned, preparing to fire off another attack. Unfortunately, Sailor Venus had come out of the fog swinging, both of her feet flying into the air and directly headed for Cooan's face. The first one made contact, knocking Cooan back. She cried out in pain and fury, her hands flying up to her bleeding cheek. Cooan looked back up at the advancing soldier in gold and screeched, "You bitch!"

Venus actually had the gall to look smug.

Just as she had done moments before, she let out another stream of fire. Venus dodged the first volley, having been expecting it. What she didn't expect was for it to curve around at hit her in the back as Cooan commanded it to do. Venus screamed in pain, hunching over and coming to a stop. Now at an advantage, Cooan attacked again, and this time, Venus didn't move. She went flying backwards into parts unknown, not that her landing mattered at all to Cooan.

To her advantage, her two attacks burnt away the majority of the fog. She could now see in front of her and was able to make out Sailor Mercury struggling to lead Sailor Mars to safety. Cooan shook her head and teleported in front of Mercury, taking the smaller soldier by surprise.

Cooan smiled. "You're not going anywhere, little girl."

Mercury quickly got over her surprise, narrowing her eyes steadfastly. "And you're not taking Sailor Mars anywhere."

Cooan scoffed. "I beg to differ." Cooan knew she had just enough power for one more weak shot, but luckily, it wouldn't take much to throw Sailor Mercury off balance. She had positioned herself poorly, too close to the edge of the stairs. She could be sure that that would work in her favor.

Cooan fired off a small shot with one arm, reaching around with the other to grab Sailor Mars's limp wrist. Sailor Mercury went flying back with a cry, rolling down the stairs at what would have been an alarmingly rapid rate if Cooan had cared enough to look. Satisfied that she had now done away with all of the other obstacles, Cooan gathered Sailor Mars into her arms and vaulted up, just as she heard the other two Senshi beginning to make their way towards her.

During her ascent, Cooan caught sight of none other than the legendary Sailor Moon, the rumored Neo Queen Serenity, jogging up the stairs with the two Lunar Cats at her side. They both looked up at her as if she had committed some kind of betrayal, arching their backs and spitting at her. But Cooan was not paying attention to them.

Cooan stared at Sailor Moon as she knelt down beside Sailor Mercury, shaking her in worry. She could not help but be curious as to whether or not the leader of the Senshi really was Neo Queen Serenity and found herself unable to look away. She looked up in time to see Cooan, and the girl had to admit, she saw some resemblance. She had a similar look in her eye – a mixture of fear and defiance. The fear only increased when she saw the crimson clad soldier lying limp in her arms.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in alarm. She almost ran forward, but remembered the wounded girl at her feet. She swallowed and remained by Mercury's side, shouting, "What are you doing to Mars?"

Cooan looked at her, still intrigued by the mysterious soldier. "I'm kidnapping her. What do you think I'm doing, Sailor Moon?"

She seemed a bit surprised to be addressed, but she shook it off, bringing forth her weapon menacingly. "Let her go right now, or I'll--"

"Or you'll what?" Cooan taunted, laughing a little. "Even your minions know better than to attack me with Sailor Mars in my arms. You throw one tiara my way, and I'll use her as a body shield. I'm meant to bring her back alive, but I'm sure I'll be forgiven if I was given no other choice but to save myself."

Sailor Moon's eyes widened even more, even though Cooan would have thought that was impossible. Her eyes darted to both Jupiter and Venus before she said, "What are you going to do with her? What do you want?"

"Same as what everyone wants," Cooan remarked glibly. "Revenge."

Sailor Moon stared at her, hurt and terrified. She shook her head, forgoing reason and began to run forward. "Sailor Mars! Wake up! Wake up and fight, please!"

Cooan almost wanted to stick around to see if she could glean any more information from them, but she knew that time was of the essence. Besides, it was neither the situation nor the moment to arrive at any conclusion, and there was plenty evidence to support and just as much to contradict. What mattered of course was that they were going to get rid of all of them, one way or another.

"We'll be back for you," Cooan warned, threatening each and every one of the Senshi, but only looking at Sailor Moon. "You can count on that."

And then Cooan vanished. She left behind only four Sailor Senshi, three of them battered and one of them already broken.

Sailor Moon stared up at where Cooan had been, dropping to her knees at the top of the shrine's steps. She was shaking, perhaps even shivering from her shock. She couldn't believe that she had just watched her best friend be kidnapped by some nameless woman with a grudge Sailor Moon couldn't even begin to imagine. And she had done nothing but watch, arriving too late to try to help her and crippled when she had thought to attack with the threat of hurting Mars. She had failed. They all had failed, and now Mars was gone.

She was reminded of when Mars had gone off to face the last of the DD Girls, when she had lost the last of her friends and then willingly walked on to watch the love of her life die in front of her eyes.

She wondered now if it was working backwards, and tried very hard not to cry. For Rei's sake. She shut her eyes, holding back the tears and clenching her jaw to keep her lower lip from trembling. She could feel the others watching her, feel them preparing for her to wail. They knew precisely what to do if she cried. They would soothe, they would vow, the would reassure, they would do everything they could to make her stop crying and promise to fix everything that had gone wrong. But she didn't want to cry because Rei hated it when she cried, and for once, she was able to hold it back.

No one knew what to do when Sailor Moon remained silent.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Yeah, took me long enough, didn't it? Well, here at long last is the fourth installment to this centuries old fic, and hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next one. I hope to at least get up to Chapter Seven by the end of the summer, if not farther. However, there are two fics that I absolutely have to finish this summer, and those are going to be my priority for the next few weeks until I can actually finish them. They're both short, so hopefully they won't take very long.

So, if you're a fan of _All Kidding Aside_ or _La Lumière d'Amour_, you're in luck! If not, you should become fans of them so that you can get a quick resolution, unlike most of my fics.

Anyway, hopefully this fic will be updated fairly regularly come July, but I make no guarantees, so don't become frantic if you don't here from me immediately. This chapter was a bitch and a half to turn out, and I don't expect the others to be easier. But fear not. I am going to finish this sucker if it kills me, and it just might.

Please review!

Coming Soon - Part Five: Freeze Over


	5. Freeze Over

Forgotten Forever  
Part Five: Freeze Over  
5/24  
by Kihin Ranno

Cooan was very grateful when she arrived back at the base, captive in hand.

She staggered forward, dropping the limp girl to the ground within seconds of her heels touching the floor. She hissed loudly, holding her arms close to her chest, afraid to have them touch anything else. They ached enough on their own. She didn't want to think about how much worse it would be once pressure was applied to them. Then she gingerly pressed her fingertips to the open wound on her cheek, wincing when they became wet with blood. She shut her eyes tightly, swallowing to relieve the way her throat was constricting. She'd had a difficult time getting Sailor Mars back without shedding a tear or two, but she had held them back, not wanting to arrive home from a successful mission in tears. She didn't want to think of what Rubeus would feel about her if he saw her show that kind of weakness.

Cooan was continuing her valiant effort not to cry, when Petz arrived several feet away. Cooan could instantly tell that her older sister was livid. Her dark eyes were flashing as she stalked forward, the belts on her hips moving in time with her pace. She pointed at Cooan and hissed, "How could you have been so careless?"

Cooan was in no mood to be lectured. Least of all by her oldest sister, who all of the other girls thought took her age a bit too seriously for her own good. Cooan glared in Petz's direction and said, "Petz, I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't want to hear it."

"You don't want to hear it?" Petz snapped, mystified by Cooan's attitude. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"No, but I will lose my hearing if you don't stop being so shrill," Cooan countered, curling her lip.

Petz was not the least bit amused by this retort, and every inch of her posture made this infinitely clear. She stepped over the still body of the red soldier, shoving her gloved finger into Cooan's face. "You attacked a person outside of the situation. You weren't supposed to let anyone else get involved."

Cooan narrowed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to push Petz's hand away from her face. Unfortunately, she still didn't want to move her arms. "He got in the way," Cooan explained, feeling that she was pointing out the obvious. "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same thing."

"I wouldn't have been stupid enough to let someone get in the way to begin with," Petz informed her self-righteously.

"How do you even know about this?" Cooan asked testily, leaning forward to give Petz little choice than to let her arm fall. She glared and spat, "Were you watching me from the mirrors?"

Petz arched an eyebrow, but it did nothing to soften her scowl. "Of course. As if I would trust you to perform your task correctly."

Cooan felt her cheeks begin to turn red. She would have liked to have clenched her fists, but she had to settle for digging her teeth into the inside of her cheek. She quickly tasted blood, and it did not improve her mood. "If I am so incompetent, why didn't you come down and fix everything, taking all the glory for yourself?"

Petz was about to interrupt, but she was interrupted by the sound of a third party scoffing from some distance away. Both Cooan and Petz whirled to see Karaberas and Beruche watching with interest.

"Don't be stupid, Cooan," Karaberas said unkindly, though her malice was actually directed as Petz. "She only likes to show me up. She doesn't care enough about you two to do that."

Beruche glanced at Karaberas out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, that's nice."

"I prefer truth to niceties," Karaberas said bluntly, examining her nails.

As usual, Karaberas had the talent to bring out the worst in Petz. Her creamy skin turned splotchy with rage, once again stepping over Sailor Mars in order to reach her auburn-haired sister. "Stay out of this, Karaberas."

Karaberas feigned being hurt. "And here I thought you enjoyed my commentary. I'm depressed now. I don't know how I'll ever recover."

Petz snarled and curled up her fist, getting right up into Karaberas's face so that their noses were nearly mashed together. "I would like to be furious with only one sister at a time, if you don't mind. I'll deal with you later."

"Ooh, scary," Beruche said smoothly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Petz stamped her foot and yelled, "I cannot kill all three of you at once, but right now, I would certainly like to try!"

Before any of the other three sisters could respond to the threat, Rubeus appeared, his army jacket slung over his shoulder casually. He looked over at Petz coolly, his intense gaze silencing her even before he spoke. "Control your temper, Petz."

Amazingly, the statement actually managed to sober Petz, but Cooan had always found that her sister was a bit of a volcano. It was only a matter of time before she would explode again. Still, Petz nodded obediently enough. "Yes, Master Rubeus."

Rubeus continued looking at her for a moment, holding her gaze to ensure that she would not suddenly change her mind. Once he was assured that her tirade was over, or at least suppressed for the time being, he moved over to the still unconscious Sailor Mars.

He crouched down beside her, slinging his jacket over his elbow in what must have been a practiced movement however effortlessly executed. Mars had landed somewhat awkwardly, lying mostly on her front but with her neck turned to the right. Her hair was obscuring her face, and Rubeus reached forward and moved it away, smoothing it back in a manner that was gentle only because it was not violent. He narrowed his eyes, studying her fine features as Saffir studied what few pieces of literature were available on Nemesis.

A part of Cooan knew that Rubeus was likely just checking for similarities between this girl and the Sailor Mars from the thirtieth century, but she didn't miss the brief flicker of appreciation. It filled her with jealousy to think that Rubeus could find this girl, their enemy and a mere child, the least bit physically appealing. It made her want to choke the remaining life from her pale neck. If Cooan hadn't been in so much pain, she doubted that she would have been able to hold her ground.

Perpetually careless, Karaberas moved forward to get a better look at the captive as well. As she passed by Cooan, she bumped into the injured girl's arm. Cooan could not stop herself from crying out as soon as the other woman came into contact with the scorched skin. Karaberas seemed surprised, as if she hadn't noticed that Cooan was injured to begin with. Cooan felt tears prick at her eyes again, but she still held them back. She didn't want to cry in front of Rubeus, but it would have been far worse to cry in front of Rubeus and all of her sisters.

Rubeus looked up quickly, the speed of the movement betraying his surprise and nothing more. She searched for some sort of concern, but found nothing to confirm or deny whether he felt it. "You're hurt," he observed, getting to his feet.

Cooan nodded, grinding her teeth together.

"What happened to you?" Karaberas asked, leaning forward to get a better look at Cooan's arms.

It took her a moment before she was able to open up her jaw again to speak, and even then her voice was incredibly tight. "She didn't go without a fight."

Rubeus moved over to Cooan, still looking her over with his painfully intense gaze. He reached forward, brushing the pad of his thumb over the open wound on her cheek. Even in her harried state, Cooan couldn't help but find herself blushing at the contact.

"Apparently," he said neutrally, lingering for a moment.

Cooan swallowed, wanting nothing more than to look away, but finding herself at an extreme disadvantage. "And I'm afraid that the other Senshi were there as well."

Rubeus furrowed his brow. "Including Sailor Moon?"

She nodded silently.

Rubeus considered this information for a moment. He was subdued for the time being, but she could tell that he was a little frustrated with that development. He would have preferred the element of surprise while he could hold on to it. From that moment forward, their attempts would be far more difficult now that the other girls would be on alert.

However, he said nothing. There was still their triumph to consider after all. He would accept this victory and deal with the losses later.

He moved away from her, and Cooan thought that her cheek hurt even more now that the warmth of his skin was no longer there. He looked over at Petz and said, "Take her to where I showed you earlier, and put this on her neck when you get her there." Rubeus held out his hand where a ball of dark light flickered for a moment before a thin circlet fell into his palm. It was a dark stone - black that sometimes glittered emerald or purple. Cooan was willing to bet it was the same material that hung from their ears as another sign of solidarity - a piece of the Jakokuzuishou. "That will bind her powers until the Wiseman is available for the more permanent solution."

Petz nodded again as Rubeus tossed the circlet to her. She caught it easily, demurring as much as Petz ever demurred. Still, Cooan was certain that Petz was insulted by being assigned the grunt work. Her feelings did nothing to stop her from moving forward to drag Sailor Mars off to wherever it was she would be kept. The two of them vanished the moment they touched.

"Karaberas," Rubeus said, startling her from her thoughts.

She straightened, uncrossing her feet at the ankle. "Yes, Master Rubeus?"

"Take Cooan to the infirmary and start to get her cleaned up. I'll be along to help with her wounds in time," Rubeus instructed.

Beruche and Karaberas exchanged a surprised glance. The former quickly turned back to Rubeus, saying, "Pardon me, Master Rubeus, but isn't that my job?"

"Normally, it is," Rubeus said coolly, flipping his jacket so that it was once again slung over his shoulder. "But I'm afraid you'll be busy with other matters."

Beruche arched a delicate eyebrow. "Oh?" she queried, intrigued.

Rubeus looked over at her, amused by her coyness. "We believe that we may have discovered the identity of Sailor Mercury. Seeing as you two had several confrontations before, I assumed you would be interested."

Beruche's elegant face remained still for a moment, but a smile quickly formed on her red lips. It looked innocuous enough at first, but even Karaberas looked uneasy when she saw the look in her sister's eyes. Beruche was fiercely competitive, almost to the point of being pathological. She had considered Sailor Mercury her exclusive opponent from the beginning, and Beruche had not always faired well. She obviously considered this as much of a chance for revenge as Cooan had.

"Oh, I'm interested," Beruche said, her sugary-sweet voice in somewhat disturbing contrast with the darkness in her eyes. "Very interested."

Rubeus returned her grin, looking more smug than usual. "Good."

-----

The police and members of the press had arrived within minutes of Cooan vanishing with Sailor Mars. Apparently some passerby had decided to report the commotion in hopes of getting their fifteen minutes of fame. Minako and Ami had done most of the talking, finding that Usagi was too traumatized by the incident to even speak. Makoto stayed by her side, glaring malevolently when someone got too close.

They had come up with a convincing enough story. There was no hope in hiding the supernatural nature of the attack, so they had decided to play into it. Considering the incident with the giant tree destroying an apartment complex not days before, they were met with minimal skepticism. According to what Minako and Ami managed to whip up together on the spot, Rei had been kidnapped by some mysterious being, and they had been injured in the attempts to keep that from happening. It seemed that the police were assuming that her disappearance was some sort of attack on her father, the senator, and none of the girls did anything to encourage or dispel that rumor. It was of no consequence to them.

But all of them were gone now, Minako and Yuuichirou with them. He had needed to go to the hospital to treat the injuries he had sustained trying to protect Rei. Minako decided that it would be better if one of Rei's friends told him what happened when he woke up. No one had been particularly surprised when she volunteered to go with him.

Now the three remaining girls were gathered in Rei's room along with Luna and Artemis. The cats weren't sure that it was best if they were in there at that point, but they had little choice in the matter. Once the police had left and Rei's grandfather had been contacted, Usagi had walked straight into the house and into Rei's bedroom. There, she had collapsed on the bed, curling into as small a ball as she could manage. Usagi still hadn't said a word since Rei and her captor had vanished, and no one saw any point in moving her.

Makoto was seated on the bed next to Usagi, smoothing the hair on the back of her head while Luna also remained close to her charge. Ami was sitting in the chair at Rei's desk, her back unnaturally straight for an informal setting. Artemis was standing by her, occasionally butting his head into her arm or hand, though they could all tell that he wasn't completely with them at that point.

Everyone was badly shaken. So much so that they had trouble doing anything but sit in palpable silence long after the press and detectives had left. Ami would occasionally clear her throat and Makoto kept moving her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but neither of them could figure out what to say. They had just been attacked by a mysterious new enemy, and before they had even had time to process the fact that a new fight was beginning, one of their best friends had been kidnapped. What could they possibly say after that?

Artemis seemed to have some idea, apparently having as much patience for silence as Minako. "What the hell just happened?" he asked, his green eyes oddly unfocused.

Another long moment was spent in silence before anyone spoke up.

"I don't know," Makoto said quietly, clearly unsure of herself as she glanced down at the claw marks on her arm.

Ami preferred logic and literalism at that point, so she answered the question directly. "Rei was taken."

Luna shook her head miserably, hanging her head in shame of being unable to do more to help one of her friends. "The worst possible thing that could have happened to us, that's what."

Usagi still didn't say anything.

"But what happened?" Artemis repeated, flicking his tail in frustration. "There was no warning for this. There was--"

"No," Luna interrupted harshly. "There was Rei's vision."

Ami swallowed, gathering the fabric of her skirt in between her fingers and squeezing as hard as she could. "She knew something bad was going to happen, but we still weren't prepared."

Makoto shook her head, resting her forehead on the heel of her hand but never letting the other one leave Usagi's small, frighteningly still frame. "We should have known better," she insisted fiercely. "We should have been on guard."

"You did everything you could," Luna insisted, trying to soothe them, but she wasn't in a position to do so given her agitated state. "She called you, and you came running. There wasn't anything more to be done."

They all became quiet when that was uttered. Though none of them particularly believed it, they found themselves repeating the phrase in their mind, thinking perhaps if it was reiterated they would begin to think it was true. But it did nothing to alleviate their guilt or to make them think that they hadn't failed their friend. All it did was quiet them for a time and made them decide that it was best to let that line of conversation drop.

Artemis sighed, his whiskers drooping. "There must be a reason for them to have taken Rei. I mean she could have just--"

Sensing where Artemis was going with his line of thought, Ami cut in before he could continue. She didn't want to think about what that line of speculation could have done to Usagi's already fragile mental state. "She said something very strange to me. She seemed to imply that... we had met before."

Makoto looked up, blinking rapidly at this bit of news. "What?"

"Do you mean that she said she was from the Silver Millennium?" Luna asked, doubt evident in her voice.

"She didn't say that exactly," Ami clarified, furrowing her brow. "But that is how I took it to mean."

Makoto looked weary and glanced down at Usagi to see if she was having a reaction. She hadn't so much as twitched. Makoto clenched her teeth and ground out, "Another enemy from the past? I thought the Silver Millennium was a time of great peace up until Beryl showed up."

"It was," Luna said, twitching her left ear. "There was no war between the kingdoms - no war anywhere except for on Earth."

"Could she have been connected with Beryl somehow?" Ami theorized, realizing she was grasping at straws. "Perhaps she was part of another faction that was against the Moon Kingdom. It would explain the mark on her head."

"An inverted black crescent," Makoto recalled, tightening the muscles in her calves as if preparing to launch into another assault. "The same one Rei saw in the fire."

Luna continued to shake her head. "I highly doubt it. I think I would remember something like that. It is a perversion of our symbol and an insult to the Moon Kingdom. Believe me, I would have remembered it."

"I don't remember anything like it either," Artemis said, his voice a great deal gentler.

Ami pursed her lips, still trying to puzzle it out. "But that doesn't make sense. If she's not from the Silver Millennium, then how has she met us before?"

Before any more theories could be presented, Luna stood and hopped off the bed. Her amber eyes were narrowed in consternation, walking forward to a clear space in the middle of the room. "I don't think it much matters where they have come from or why they are here at this precise moment. We will figure that out in time. What matters right now is that they are here and that they will be coming back."

Makoto nodded in agreement, finding that this was the sort of attitude that she could get behind. "Right. And now that we know they're here, we'll be ready for them next time."

Ami wanted to point out that their primary motive should be finding Rei and that they weren't in much of a position to do that until they knew about their new enemy. Still, she could see Luna's point. Sitting there and talking about it wasn't doing anything to get Rei back either. They wouldn't be able to come up with the answer that afternoon, and it was more productive to prepare for the next battle in the long run. In the meantime, she could try and gather more information and puzzle out the truth on her own time. So she kept her peace.

"We need to focus on getting stronger before the next attack," Luna continued. "And that's why I think it is time to give you these."

Artemis opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to protest, but he wasn't given much of a chance. Luna swiftly launched into her trademark back flip, a trail of moondust following behind her as she went. There was a flash of light, and as she landed, two wands and three wrist-watches clattered to the ground.

Makoto leaned forward, but she still didn't feel comfortable leaving Usagi's side. "What are they?" she asked, hoping that this would bring the blonde into the conversation.

Ami got up from her seat to get a better look. She noticed that Luna looked rather exhausted and unsteady on her feet, and Ami wasn't the least bit surprised when Artemis came bounding over to stand next to her. He leaned into her, keeping her upright.

"I tried to tell you not to do that all at once," Artemis snapped, his voice tight with concern. "I could have helped."

Luna was once again disbelieving. "Generally, if you aren't fetching Minako's things, you're not of much use."

Before their conversation could be continued, Ami reached forward and picked up the blue wand. She held it between her fingers with some amount of reverence, gazing upon the all too familiar symbol in renewed awe. She got the same rush each time she touched her henshin pen, but she could feel an even deeper connection with this one. She felt strengthened just holding it in her hand, and in that moment, Ami felt that maybe things weren't as hopeless as she had previously been thinking.

"These are going to make us stronger," Ami murmured in amazement. "Aren't they?"

Luna nodded heavily. "Artemis and I have been working on them for awhile. They were nearly done in time for the last fight with Ail and Ann, but we were unable to get them finished in time. However, when Rei alerted us to the new threat, we managed to work out the rest of the problems." She paused, her eyes softening. "I only wish that we had been able to give them to you before today."

Ami nodded, wishing the same thing though she didn't dare say so.

"The watches are new communicators," Artemis explained. "We think they'll be less conspicuous than talking to calculators in public, and the reception should be better."

Makoto nodded in understanding, watching as Ami gathered up the instruments in her hands. The smaller girl got to her feet and walked them over to Makoto, handing her the appropriate tools. Makoto felt the exact same rush Ami had felt the minute before, running her thumb over the base of the wand. She looked up at Ami and said, "We'll be able to beat those guys for sure now, won't we?"

Ami couldn't tell if she was looking for reassurance or if she was just illustrating her usual amount of bravado. The fact that she couldn't tell was worrisome. In the end, she just nodded.

Luna coughed, drawing their attention back to her. "The next time you transform, use those wands and shout, 'Mercury Star Power, Make-Up' and 'Jupiter Star Power, Make Up.' You'll be able to handle stronger enemies as well as get another attack if Artemis and I did everything right."

"Did you hear that, Usagi?" Makoto asked gently, leaning down to try and catch the girl's gaze. "We'll be getting new powers. That means we'll be able to take care of the bad guys next time."

She waited for a response, but Usagi still appeared to have not heard her.

Artemis sighed and said, "Maybe we should leave her alone for awhile." He gestured for everyone to follow him, moving slowly so that Luna could still use him for support if she needed to. Makoto was reluctant to leave Usagi, but eventually she rose to her feet, following behind Ami.

The brunette slid the door closed behind her and followed the others out until the living room where Usagi wouldn't be able to hear them. Makoto shook her head as she crossed the threshold and muttered, "She's getting worse. I don't think I've ever seen her like this."

"She's in shock," Ami said soberly. "It's a typical reaction given what happened."

"We're not in shock," Makoto pointed out, sounding as if she thought they were doing something wrong.

"You can't afford to be," Luna countered gently. "You two and Minako have to keep it together for Usagi's sake."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "She has to know that she can talk to us, and the only way she is going to do that is if she sees that we can handle her grief as well as her own. She's been shutting us out ever since this whole mess began, and that cannot continue."

Makoto let that sink in for a moment before shaking her head, folding her arms in front of her chest. "She doesn't deserve this."

"Who does?" Ami asked quietly, her eyelids drooping.

No one knew how to answer that question.

After a moment, Artemis turned around and started to walk out of the room. "I'm going to go wait for Minako and fill her in. I'll give her the new wand and communicator when I see her next."

Luna nodded in understanding and then turned back to the other girls. "I don't think Usagi's going to be able to walk out of here under her own power any time soon."

Ami and Makoto exchanged a worried glance, knowing that the cat was right but not liking it at all. Ami sighed and said, "What are we supposed to do? Let her sleep here?"

"Would that make things better or worse?" Makoto asked.

"I think that she needs her family right now, whether she knows it or not," Luna said before any more speculation could be made on that front. "She might not be able to tell them what's wrong, but a few more hugs certainly couldn't make things worse."

Makoto nodded looked over at Ami's. "I'll call the Tsukinos and let them know what's going on. I can stay here until one of them comes and picks her up. You..." she trailed off, finding that was she was about to say was grossly inappropriate. "Nevermind."

Ami smiled joylessly. "You were about to say something about cram school, weren't you?" She didn't wait for Makoto's response, knowing that she was right. "There's not much point in going at this hour. I was planning on skipping it today anyway."

"Still, you should get home," Makoto pressed. "Your mother will be worried."

Ami looked at Makoto for a moment, instantly picking up on the subtext. Ami had a mother to worry about her. Makoto didn't. She felt like she should say something to make that harsh reality of life less profound, but she found she was just as ineffective in that as she was with Usagi's troubles. In the end, she couldn't do much more but nod and turn to go. But before she walked away, she looked over her shoulder and said, "It's going to be okay, isn't it?"

Makoto gave her a blank stare for a moment before nodding as brightly as she could manage. "Yeah," she said, clearly determined to make her words become real. "It's going to be okay."

Strangely reassured, Ami continued out the door, leaving Luna and Makoto alone to deal with the remainder of the aftermath. She wasn't sure she felt good about leaving like that, but on the other hand, there was no reason to stay. As much as she hated to admit it, there wasn't much else she could do.

-----

Mamoru knew that he was often made fun of for his perpetual state of obliviousness. Motoki, Reika, Kobayashi, and Saori had gotten together on numerous occasions that Mamoru sometimes thought were specifically for the purpose of mocking his social ineptitude. Of course, they all denied it vigorously, but it did nothing to alter the preferred topic of conversation. They had a seemingly endless supply of stories and recollections that they broke out over a bottle or two of gin and laughed until they were too drunk to remember what had been so amusing to begin with.

But at that particular moment, Mamoru did not find his cluelessness the least bit amusing. He was infuriated by it, twitching his legs to circumvent the desire to pace or kick the walls or do something else pointless and/or destructive. He wished that he could use his reported intelligence to puzzle his life out as opposed to only finding it useful in hypothetical academic situations.

He simply couldn't wrap his head around what had happened during Usagi's visit. Of course, he often found himself bewildered by her behavior, but he was at an even more profound loss than usual. The crying he had understood. The awkwardness seemed strange at first, but he decided that he could associate that with embarrassment over her previous outburst. But when she had left, she had seemed almost angry with him, and he could not begin to think of what he had done to offend her.

Granted, this was hardly the first time that women had left infuriated with him without him knowing why, but this bothered him more than those times. He couldn't say if it was because he actually felt some amount of affection for Usagi or if it was because he couldn't associate her with actually being angry. Yes, he enjoyed riling her up and making her indignant, but he had never thought of her as being capable of having any real malice toward another human being. It didn't fit in with her make-up. Yet he knew that while he had no idea what she had meant by it, Usagi had uttered her last words with the intention of being cruel, or as much as she could possess that intention.

It was making his head hurt, and he didn't like it. He wanted nothing more than to turn the television on and distract himself with some mindless children's show or melodramatic movie or even a pretty girl in a bikini in a nonsensical CM (preferably on repeat). But a part of him knew that it wouldn't be very effective.

Especially considering that there was the even more unsettling question. How had Usagi known about Natsumi and Seijuurou?

He supposed there were several logical answers. Usagi and Natsumi had seemed to have some sort of rivalry, so perhaps Usagi had been spouting petty accusations that had wound up being true by sheer coincidence. Though again, this hardly seemed in character for her. Perhaps Natsumi had actually gotten around to threatening Usagi, and that had been what set her off. Or it might not have been Natsumi at all. Maybe Seijuurou had been the one to put Usagi ill at ease with his unwanted affections. Hell, perhaps Rei had been the cause of all this. She considered herself a clairvoyant. Maybe she had sensed something and told Usagi about it. It did seem like the sort of thing Usagi would latch on to, especially if she needed an excuse to stay away from them. But if that were true, why had she been sneaking around outside their apartment building?

Mamoru sighed, shielding his eyes with one hand and reaching out for the remote with the other. He had now given himself an incredible migraine, and he had not made any progress on anything. He decided to go with his alternative idea to distract himself with television and hope that no perky blondes smiled at him from the other side of the glass.

He was just beginning to settle in to some very odd action-drama when it was interrupted by a news report. He rolled his eyes and made a move to change the channel out of habitual annoyance at reality for interrupting his preferable fantasy. However, his hand stilled above the black contraption, a cold sweat breaking out at the back of his neck. He knew where that reporter was. He had been there on a several occasions. And he was very familiar with the shrine maiden whose name and school picture were superimposed on the left side of the screen.

"This is Wagashi Sakura, reporting for Nippon Hoso Kyokai," a woman announced in a manner that managed to be equally business-like and frantic. "I am currently at Hikawa Jinja located on Sendai Hill, You may remember that this very shrine was at the center of numerous mysterious disappearances earlier in the year, and now it is the scene of yet another supernatural abduction. Hino Rei, daughter of Senator Hino Nibori, has gone missing. Witnesses are attributing it to otherworldly causes. This reporter could not get many details, but I have learned that an employee of the shrine, Kamada Yuuichirou, was apparently involved in the attempted prevention of the kidnapping. He was very badly injured in this attempt and was rushed to a nearby hospital to tend to first, second, and third degree burns. Neither the senator's office nor the remaining witnesses to this crime have offered comment. Tokyo Metropolitan Police request that any information you may have on the whereabouts of Hino Rei be forwarded to the following number..."

Wagashi Sakura might have gone on, but she quickly became a dull roar in his ears. Mamoru merely continued to stare at the television screen, making eye contact with the still, alarmingly lifeless photo of Hino Rei. And even when she had vanished from his television screen just as instantly as she had vanished from her home, he kept looking at that same spot. He was unsure of what else he was supposed to do and confused at why he felt the inclination to do anything at all.

-----

Minako was sitting at Yuuichirou's bedside, still amazed that they had allowed her to do so based on her claim that she was his cousin. She hadn't even been trying particularly hard. She wondered if the nurse on duty had taken pity on her, assuming that Minako was his girlfriend lying in order to be close to him. Minako would have liked to have corrected her for Rei's sake, but she didn't, deciding it was more important that she was with him.

Minako sighed, leaning forward on her plastic chair and resting her elbows on her knees. She folded her hands in front of her face, resting her chin atop her knuckles and stared down at Yuuichirou. He was wrapped up nearly from head to toe, his body literally covered in scorch marks. There had been several hours where she had been sitting in the waiting room where she had been told that the burn unit was removing the dead skin from his body. She had also been told that he was lucky. Looking at him now, she wondered what that doctor had been smoking when he told her that Yuuichirou was lucky.

She had been the one to go and find Yuuichirou after everything happened, and she still didn't know how she had kept herself from being sick after inhaling the smell of his burnt flesh and hair. He had almost been unrecognizable at first. She had been afraid that he might have been dead until she saw him breathe.

His injuries were bad. There had been discussion about keeping him sedated until the wounds could be healed, but the doctors had decided to keep him on high dosages of morphine for the time being. If the pain became too intense, they would put him under immediately, no questions asked. There was merely a question of whether he would be able to handle the anesthetic given that they were apparently unable to locate his medical records or his next of kin for reasons that she hadn't bothered to pay attention to when they had been explained to her. Minako wanted to believe that they were all exaggerating or overreacting, but she had heard the doctors talk about scarring and physical therapy. There was a significant chance that permanent damage had been done.

She decided that she would begin forgetting about that information just as soon as she was on her way out of the hospital.

"Minako?" a feeble voice whispered from a few feet away.

She looked up, surprised at having been addressed. She had to look around for a moment before she realized it was Yuuichirou speaking. She softened her gaze instantly into one of extreme empathy and leaned forward. She wanted to take his hand, but she kept them close to her sides. "You're awake," she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"I wish I wasn't," Yuuichirou admitted, his voice unbelievably tense.

"Are you in pain?" Minako asked rather stupidly, noticing a minute later that the unmarred, exposed portions of his face were turning red. Apparently he was clenching his jaw to keep from screaming. Not even the morphine was helping him.

Minako got to her feet and said, "I'll get the doctor. They said they'd put you under if it was too much to take."

"No," Yuuichirou insisted, his arm jerking as if he wanted to grab her hand. He seemed to lack the coordination to do so at the moment.

Minako turned back to him, her stomach knotted in worry. "Yuuichirou, your wounds are serious. They didn't even want you to wake up in the first place. They said something about anesthetic." She paused, deciding that there was at least one good outcome of him being awake. "Before they put you under... I suppose I might as well tell you."

"Tell me what?" he asked, his quiet voice rising in panic.

Minako found that she saw Yuuichirou's eyes for the very first time. They had always been masked by his unkempt bangs, but he had lost a fair amount of hair in the attack. They were a shade of dark blue with just a hint of green that she would have found lovely had they not been clouded by so much pain, fear, and despair. He already knew that the news was bad. She almost didn't want to tell him and let him know just how bad it was.

Still, she resumed her seat for the moment. She sat on her hands, looked down at the ground, and told him everything she could.

When she was done, he didn't say anything to her. He merely stared at the ceiling, his Adam's apple jerking up and down. Minako felt wretched for having played any part in what happened to him. She wanted to apologize for not being able to get there in time to keep him from getting hurt or for not saving Rei, but she couldn't even bring herself to apologize to him, finding herself unworthy.

He didn't object when the doctors told him they were putting him under again.

-----

It took a very long time, but eventually Rei woke up.

The first thing she noticed was that she wasn't wearing any shoes. She was no longer in the guise of Sailor Mars, and she couldn't help but wonder what had been done to ensure that. She also realized that there was something around her neck. It wasn't heavy nor was it particularly uncomfortable, but its presence still unnerved her. She reached up to touch it, shivering at how cold to the touch it was.

Then Rei took a look around. She had been tossed (or so she assumed given the unnatural position she had woken up in) into a typical cell, hidden in some dark corner of wherever she was and barred in to keep her from escaping. She thought at first that the bars were made of emerald, but upon further examination, she could tell that it was too murky. Of course, it was probably better if she didn't try to identify things. After all, according to Cooan, their enemies had all come from the future. For all Rei knew, the substance didn't even exist yet.

She could also see what looked to be intricate wiring lined throughout the chamber, something that might have impressed her in another other situation. The floor beneath her was just as dark, but it had a different sheen, suggesting that it was actually metal stained to blend in with the walls. She was no expert and she was rather dizzy, but for whatever reason, that detail stood out.

In spite of the way her head was spinning, Rei decided to get to her feet, if for no other reason to determine if she was able to do so. It proved to be a bit more of a chore than she would have anticipated. Her muscles ached from the last battle, her previous injuries, and the uncomfortable way she had been laying on the floor for however long it was that she had passed out. When she straightened, she found that she was rather unsteady on her feet and she reached out to the bars to steady her.

Rei was taken off guard by the shocks that assaulted her neck, obviously coming from the collar that had been place there. Rei shrieked in pain and instantly crumpled to the floor again. She reached for the stone and tried to yank it off her neck, but several seconds after she let go of the bars, the shock stopped. Unfortunately, she suspected that the pain would remain for quite some time.

"You're so loud," a familiar voice muttered from outside the cell.

Rei looked up, her teeth bared as if dripping with venom. She recognized Cooan instantly. Even in her temper, Rei was pleased to see that her opponent's arms had been bandaged. She could also see that she had taken what looked like a nasty blow to the face. Rei didn't know who she had to thank for it, but she was pleased to see that someone had at least gotten one punch in.

"Where am I?" Rei demanded. "What are you going to do with me?"

Cooan smirked and walked forward, her heels clanging against the floor unpleasantly. "Who cares where you are? The point is we have you and that you aren't going anywhere."

"I did ask a second question," Rei snarled, ignoring how ridiculous she sounded by demanding politeness from her kidnapper.

Cooan shrugged delicately, a gesture that likely had more to do with the state of her arms than her upbringing. "I'm just the messenger. They don't tell me much."

"If you were just the messenger, I would not be so inclined to shoot you," Rei responded caustically. "Tell me what's going on. Why are you here? What do you want from me?"

Cooan narrowed her eyes, her own temper stirred by Rei's voice. "Personally, I would like to string you up by your thumbs and whip you until you begged me to rip your heart out of your chest. Unfortunately, that isn't why you're here."

"How vivid," Rei spat.

Cooan seemed extremely irritated that Rei was not quaking in her knee socks at the remark. She curled her lip, revealing a smear or either blood or lipstick on her teeth. "You're here because we need you. You'll get nothing more out of me."

Rei did not consider this an appropriate answer, but there were other matters to attend to. "What's with this thing around my neck?"

"It's what we used to bind your power," Cooan said. "Don't pull at it like that. If you do it too much, it's designed to shock you just like if you get too close to the bars. Granted, we don't necessarily need you in one piece as I understand it, but I'd rather not have to choke on the stench of your burnt flesh. There's no ventilation up here."

"Up here?" Rei asked, hoping to absorb any information in hopes of using it against Cooan at the earliest opportunity.

Cooan frowned, annoyed at herself. Obviously she had said something she hadn't meant to say, though Rei couldn't decipher the significance of it anyway. "Just get comfortable. You're not going anywhere." She paused and glanced over her shoulder, smiling cruelly. "But at least you'll have company soon."

It didn't take Rei more than half a second to realize who she was referring to. She leapt to her feet, trying not to touch the bars no matter how much she wanted to see if she could stand the pain long enough to rend them apart and wring Cooan's neck. "Leave them alone! Don't you dare lay a hand on them, you witch!"

"I likely won't," Cooan giggled. "Not in my state. But there are others."

Rei leaned forward as far as she could. "I told you to leave them alone! You have me. What do you need them for?"

Cooan laughed again, nearly on the verge of hysterics. "Do you really think that you're the important one here? Please. You're just a necessity. There are others we value more than you."

Rei would have liked to spit but her mouth was alarmingly dry. "I seem to be important enough for you to hate me."

Cooan obviously didn't like being caught in word games. Her pink cheeks turned fuchsia with shame. She glared and stalked back towards Rei. She was nearly within arm's reach. "You stupid, evil brats! You were children when you inherited the Earth, but you were always so damn entitled and more protective of each other than your people. You'd die for them sooner than you would a stranger, wouldn't you?"

Rei stopped as if she'd hit a wall, staring down at Cooan. She hadn't expected or wanted to conversation to go in this direction. She couldn't say that it hadn't crossed her mind before, but it didn't make her anymore eager to discuss it with Cooan. She always settled the query with the ideal situation - that Rei would somehow find a way to save her friends and the people should never have been dragged into the situation in the first place. But she knew better than to say that to Cooan. The woman wouldn't let her get away with it that easily. She would have to decide.

And what would she decide in a split-second? What would her instincts tell her to do? Who did she value more - her closest friends or nameless strangers?

"Well?" Cooan demanded, her thin patience wearing thinner.

In the end, she couldn't say.

"And what would you do?" Rei asked, her voice shockingly still.

Cooan stammered for a minute. Rei could have sworn that she started to say something along the lines of 'I asked you first,' but thankfully, it didn't come to that. Cooan eventually cursed, storming out to do whatever it was that kidnappers did when apart from their victims.

It left Rei alone, standing in a cell designed to kill her if she didn't behave like a model prisoner. She had nothing but pain and rage, and she didn't have the slightest idea as to when that would come to an end, if it would, and if the only resolution for this new mess was her own death.

It would have grieved her if she'd had room for anything but anger.

-----

She wasn't supposed to be there.

Of course, Minako had a certain knack for doing things she wasn't meant to be doing. Always with a higher purpose, or so she told herself, and this time was no different.

After the doctors had put Yuuichirou into an induced sleep, Minako stayed by his side for several hours longer than she was technically allowed to. She couldn't say if it was because of her guilt over what had happened or latent maternal instincts kicking in, but the result was the same. Eventually, she'd been discovered ducking into the bathroom when a nurse came in to adjust Yuuichirou's medication. Minako had then been told to leave in the kindest way she'd ever been thrown out of anywhere.

Before she had gone, Minako remembered something. She turned to the nurse and gave the older woman the best smile she could manage given the situation. Judging by the nurse's reaction, it had just the right amount of wistful hope to be endearing. It gave Minako enough confidence to continue.

"I'm sorry, I meant to ask this earlier," Minako said quietly, inclining her head apologetically. "I have another friend in the hospital that I was planning on visiting today until..." she trailed off as if unable to finish her sentence.

The nurse's face was positively dripping with sympathy. "Of course, dear. Give me the name, and I'll tell you where they are. That way you can visit them as well tomorrow and not have to waste time."

"Thank you so much," Minako said earnestly, bowing deeply.

"What's the name?" the nurse asked, walking over to the information desk to get the room number.

" Chiba Mamoru."

Within minutes, Minako had the information she wanted. She gave the nurse one last thank you and then made it seem like she was on her merry way.

But in reality, once she was out of sight, Minako had veered away from the door, struggling to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. No easy feat, but she happened upon a set of backstairs quickly enough. Once there, Minako headed up the stairs to the appropriate floor where Mamoru was presumably resting comfortably.

It had taken another half hour or so, and she had nearly been caught at least a dozen times, but somehow, Minako managed to slip into Mamoru's room. She moved quickly, squeezing through a tiny opening in the door to avoid alerting the now sleeping man to someone entering his room. He didn't even stir as a sliver of light spilled into the room. But she kept holding her breath until several minutes after the door had clicked shut, flattening her back to the steel in anticipation of being discovered.

Eventually, her eyes adjusted to the light, and she could see Mamoru more clearly. Only then did she allow her breathing to become somewhat regular, though the adrenaline rushing through her veins was making it very difficult for her to be quiet. She moved further into the room in order to get a better look.

Mamoru certainly didn't look like he was resting comfortably. Aside from the various bruises and bandages that decorated his frame, Minako couldn't help but notice that his brow was furrowed even in sleep. He wasn't tossing and turning (she wasn't sure that he could given the fact that he was hooked up to various machines, but he was still sleeping fitfully. She could even make out several veins raised on his right temple, and upon further inspection she realized that his jaw and hands were clenched painfully.

Minako frowned down at him, wondering what exactly she had come up there for in the first place. She'd had an overwhelming urge to do it, but she hadn't bothered to examine her motives on the subject. It hadn't seemed important at the time.

Maybe she needed someone to blame for everything that happened. Mamoru was certainly a prime candidate for that. Maybe she couldn't blame him for losing Rei, but she could put some of Usagi's pain on his shoulders. It was well deserved.

Though perhaps not as well deserved as on hers.

"Idiot," Minako whispered, unsure of who that was directed at.

Before she could examine that any further, Minako noticed that Mamoru was beginning to stir. She started panicking and thought of running into the hallway, but that would have likely resulted in being caught by any number of orderlies. She had no interest in spending any quality time with security or the police, which meant that she was going to have to find another way to get out in the next three seconds or so. This did not take nearly as long as she would have originally thought as eliminating the door left her with exactly one other option - the window.

They were several stories up, meaning that Minako had no chance of making it as she was now. Finding that she had little choice in the matter, she ducked down and transformed quickly. She moved over to the window and made a move to open it, only to discover one final problem.

It was locked.

"Who's there?" Mamoru called groggily.

Venus looked over her shoulder to see that Mamoru was sitting straight up in bed, looking around the room. He wasn't quite awake enough to have the good sense to be afraid, but she could tell that that was fast in coming. She turned around and began dealing with the window lock, which as usual turned out to be much more complicated than she would have previously anticipated.

"Answer me," Mamoru insisted, his voice shaking a bit. "I know someone's in here."

Venus rolled her eyes and muttered, "If you would give me a minute, I wouldn't be."

The next second, Venus's work came to a grinding halt. Her muttering had been quiet, but not quiet enough. She could feel his eyes on her now, pinning her to the wall as effectively as his arms would have if he had possessed the strength. She didn't know why, but it formed a knot in her stomach.

"Who are you?" he asked, suspicious of her motives.

Finding that she once again had no choice, Venus answered him. "At the moment, I am the person trying to open your window."

He sounded puzzled. "Why?"

"So I can get out," Venus said, making it clear in her tone that this should have been terribly obvious.

"You can't use the door?" Mamoru asked, neglecting to add the phrase "like normal people" onto the end of his sentence as she had expected.

Venus frowned and continued to struggle with the window. "I'm not exactly dressed for it."

She suspected that his eyes were beginning to adjust to the light if the way his breath caught in his throat was anything to go by. This did nothing more than remind her of how imperative it was to get out of his room and fast. She strained a bit and the window finally began to give.

"Is it you?"

Venus stopped abruptly. She didn't have time to hold her position in shock, so she spun around, her eyes wide in the darkened room. Her mind worked quickly, wondering if maybe her silhouette was doing something to stir his memory. She moved forward before she could remember that it was a bad idea. "What do you mean?" she asked quickly. "Do you remember something?"

Mamoru looked in her general direction, clearly puzzled, and trying to figure out where her eyes might be. He was aiming too high. "You don't sound like her."

"Sound like who?" Venus questioned. "Who don't I sound like?"

Mamoru kept looking at her, and for a moment she couldn't read him. Then he leaned over to the other side of the bed as far as he could, his eyes narrowed. He was once again suspicious. "Who are you?" he repeated.

Venus stared for a moment, completely at a loss. He might have been on the verge of a breakthrough. But now they were right back where they started. He was no closer to remembering Usagi, and she was no closer to fixing the mess she had caused.

Tears rushed to her eyes before she had a chance to stop them. She whirled around and stalked back over to the window. With a burst of frustrated energy, she managed to get it open without any more difficulty. She kicked out the screen, sniffling childishly. She began to step out, but before she left, she turned back to Mamoru, seething.

"You're killing her," Venus told him gravely. "I thought you should know."

Before anything more could be said, Venus moved out of the room. She balanced on the window ledge for a moment before leaping upwards and away from Chiba Mamoru and his amnesiatic suspicion. She landed on the roof of the hospital a few seconds later and was grateful to find that no orderlies had snuck up there for a quick cigarette break like they did on television. Her legs gave out from underneath her immediately, a sob escaping her throat.

He could have remembered. He could have figured everything out if only Venus had said something else. There must have been something she could have done to stir his memories. Some trigger or kind word or even a gesture that would have brought it all flooding back. Then Mamoru and Usagi could figure out their relationship together and Minako would be back on her good side. It wouldn't have fixed everything, but things would have been better than they had been.

But her wishes went unanswered as she cried all alone on the hospital roof, remembering bitterly that she had always had a talent for not doing what she was supposed to do.

-----

It was well past midnight, and Beruche was beginning to wish she had a more impulsive nature. It would have meant that she would have snatched up the sleeping Mizuno Ami hours ago and hopefully been through with loitering about the filthy city that was Primitive Tokyo. But sadly, that was not the case and Beruche was certain she was going to be floating outside of the girl's window for many hours to come.

She may have matched in physical appearance, but Beruche had reservations about whether or not Rubeus had done his job right. For one thing, Beruche had the benefit of skepticism, a trait that Cooan lacked considerably when it came to anything involving Rubeus.

Such was the nature of love, Beruche supposed.

She snorted at the very notion. Cooan loving Rubeus? Sadly. Rubeus ever returning Cooan's affections? Never. It was more amusing than many sitcoms of the era in which she was currently forced to reside.

Frankly, Beruche didn't know what Cooan saw in him. Rubeus may have been pleasing to the eye in a rugged sort of way, but he was a notoriously selfish brute - a soldier promoted to his current rank because of ruthlessness and treachery, not because of any great mental prowess. Of course, Beruche couldn't help but admire such tenacity, but it didn't change the fact that she looked upon Rubeus with some distaste, even if it wasn't a privilege of her position to do so. Still, she wasn't one to make waves, so she held her tongue, trusting that Rubeus didn't notice or didn't care about the glances she sent him when she couldn't keep herself in check.

Besides, she was no fool. Rubeus was renowned for his willingness and ability to kill. She may have been powerful, but she was no match for him. And though it would have meant keeping her looks, she had no intention of dying so young.

Even if she didn't doubt Rubeus, her intended target gave her enough cause to be dubious. Cooan had also remarked that she found her charge had not quite matched up with the Sailor Mars she had grown to know at first. Later, the girl had shown her true colors, or at least Beruche presumed by the nasty state Cooan's arms had been in. Beruche was finding that she was having the same reservations about this mousy little thing.

Sailor Mercury was just as much of a legend as her compatriots even though it was known far and wide that she was the least powerful of the four. It didn't make her the least deadly by any stretch of the imagination, though Beruche couldn't say that she saw many differences in the number of casualties that could be attributed to each soldier's hands. Her intelligence could be more effective than any weapon in battle, and she had used it to out do their side on more than one occasion. Beruche almost considered herself an intellectual match, though their tactics for cruelty greatly differed from each other. But there was another reason why some members of her clan feared Sailor Mercury more than the other three.

Ice may not have been as destructive as fire or as fearsome as thunder, but there was still a certain stigma attached to it that worked in Mercury's favor. Firstly, there was the fact that her mannerisms seemed to match her element perfectly. The woman was ice, plain and simple. Neither the elders nor even the current citizens of Crystal Tokyo could recall a time when they had seen Mercury show anything other than cool indifference. She had not smiled or cried or screamed or laughed or anything else that required emotion since she had ascended to her place among the so-called saviors of the world. It was that coldness that made her deadly. Without emotion, how could she feel remorse? Or mercy? How could she administer justice properly when she could sympathize with no one, not even herself. She was a dead, soulless woman, and quite the force to be reckoned with.

But there was yet another reason why people had such fear of Mercury. She was the Soldier of Ice, after all, and that was how the world had ended the first time. Some wondered if she would be the harbinger of the Second Apocalypse; if she would one day go completely mad and release her power on to the world, trapping it under a thick veil of ice, frozen for all time.

Beruche shivered at the image in spite of the amount of bloody scenes she had witnessed. As hardened as she was or perhaps pretended to be, it still disturbed her to think of the Earth as a barren wasteland. A planet of death.

But then maybe it wasn't the fear of loss that made her shiver. Maybe it was just the reminder. After all, wasn't that what Nemesis was?

In the end, none of it mattered. What mattered was that Beruche had her reservations, and she saw no reason to rush into anything. She would wait for proof positive before attacking, regardless of anything Petz would say about it if she heard of her sister's caution.

Though she couldn't understand Petz's impatience. There was no hurry. They had all the time in the world.

-----

Even without the benefit of thinking that things could not have possibly gotten worse, somehow, they had managed to get worse.

After arriving home from the shrine, Usagi had climbed into bed, uniform and all. She had not moved since then, not even to look up when her parents came in to check on her. She appreciated their concern, and she knew they must have been worried about her. It was unlike her to long for solitude in times of crisis, especially considering the nature of it. It was more likely that she would ask for support, start crying into their arms, or, when she couldn't confess everything to her family, receive help from Luna. But Luna had tried to talk to her on several occasions since they had gotten home, and Usagi had not been particularly responsive. She had left some time ago, saying that she would be downstairs if she was needed.

It was well past dawn now, and still no sign of her mother to come and tell her to get ready for school. She supposed that Ikuko had decided that her daughter was allowed a day or so to mourn, though Usagi didn't know how long that grace period would last. Usagi thought of getting up and going to school in yesterday's clothes, but it wasn't something she considered for long. She knew she could have used the distraction, but she didn't see how she could hold it together.

There was a knock at the door. Usagi didn't answer it or even look up to see who it was. A few long moments passed before the door opened and someone walked in.

"Usagi?" Shingo's tentative voice called as he entered the room. She had never heard him say her name with such care before. In fact, of all the people she would have expected to come see her, Shingo was at the bottom of the list. "Are you awake?"

She thought about not answering him, but in the end she decided against it, likely out of shock that he was even there. She still would not speak, however, and merely nodded her head in response.

Shingo continued moving forward until he was alongside her. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and sat down on the edge of her bed. The situation was obviously awkward for him, and Usagi wondered if their parents had sent him in to see if he could succeed where they had failed. It was explain his presence easily enough, but it didn't explain how gentle he was being with her. If he had been sent on an errand, she didn't think he would have been so kind.

"Are you going to go to school today?" he asked.

Usagi shook her head silently.

She heard him swallow. "I don't think you should have to do anything," he said, stammering a bit. "Not right now."

"Thanks, Shingo," she whispered, surprising even herself.

He shifted again, apparently taken off guard by the sound of her voice. Usagi thought she felt him start to go, but something stopped him. Maybe he figured that as long as she was speaking, he should do all he could. "This is probably a stupid thing to ask, but... Are you all right?"

Usagi almost pulled out the stock answer of "I'm fine," but once again, she thought better of it at the last minute. "Not really," she admitted softly.

Shingo coughed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Usagi didn't know the answer to that question. She knew she probably should, but she also didn't know if she wanted to say anything about it. She almost wanted to bottle it up and let it swallow her whole, but that wasn't in her nature. She began to speak.

"I know that everything is going to turn out all right in the end. It has to." Her voice started trembling. "But Rei's gone, and I don't know where she is. Yuuichirou is badly hurt. Minako and I aren't speaking. And Mamoru..." Usagi trailed off as her eyes and throat began to burn.

"Mamoru?" Shingo asked, not recognizing the name immediately. "Wait is that the guy from--"

"It doesn't matter," Usagi said quickly, trying to keep her voice from revealing that she was about to start crying yet again, but failing miserably. "I don't have any right to be upset about that. Not now. Not with Rei missing." Usagi shut her eyes tightly, trying to will away the pain.

Shingo laid a hand on her arm, sudden and unsure. He had never done this before, and he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to. "Usagi, you can't control what hurts. If you want to cry about something or about a lot of stuff, then you should. It's okay to be upset about this Mamoru guy."

Usagi shook her head, unconvinced. "But Rei--"

"Wouldn't want you making yourself sick for her sake," Shingo supplied, making Usagi wonder if he knew Rei better than he let on. "I know that I tease you about being a crybaby, but you should cry about the important things. No one's going to say anything." He paused. "I won't. And I'd kick anyone who would."

Usagi's chest heaved as a laugh escaped her throat, finding the image of Shingo chasing after her friends to be slightly amusing even in her state. But then she realized that she couldn't get her chest to start convulsing. She was having a hard time breathing, and it took her a moment to realize that Shingo had set her off again. Before either of them knew what was happening, Usagi was sobbing once more, and Shingo had wrapped an arm around her, hugging her awkwardly. She grabbed his wrist and held on tightly but kept her face turned away. It was better that way.

He held her until she'd finally fallen asleep. She had never been so grateful to have such an annoying little brother.

-----

Makoto and Ami were standing at the gate of Juuban Middle School, waiting. They had been standing there since very early that morning, when they had both arrived with unkempt hair, blood shot eyes, and a sort of unsteady walk to suggest that neither of them had slept very well. The pair had both been hoping to see Usagi before school started and see if there was any more they could do to help her.

The bell was going to start ringing at any moment, and there was absolutely no sign of Usagi.

Makoto sighed, pushing her bangs away from her face and scratching her head. She flinched at the state of her hair as she had neglected to shower before coming to school that day. It did nothing to improve how awful she felt. "I had a feeling she wouldn't come."

Ami shook her head, her fingers tightly curled around the handle of her briefcase. "It can't be healthy. Staying in bed like this."

Makoto wanted to point out that not everyone would consider school to be a comfort, but she held her tongue. There was no reason to argue with Ami just because she was in a bad mood. "Maybe it's better if she could sleep through today."

"That would only be beneficial if we could have Rei back and Mamoru's memory restored by the time she wakes up," Ami said softly.

"Wouldn't that be something?" Makoto murmured to herself wistfully, wishing that there were some way to accomplish such a feat.

Makoto realized that Ami had heard her when the other girl shut her eyes tightly and bent her head as if unable to hold it up under her own power anymore. "There's no hope in that. I can't figure out why Mamoru doesn't remember anything, and I can't figure out who that girl that took Rei could have been."

"No one expected you to," Makoto soothed, which wasn't entirely true. She had been hoping that Ami would race up to her that morning with every crisis solved, but she knew now that such an expectation had not been realistic.

Ami shook her head, not believing her. "I expected it of me."

Makoto frowned and started to move forward. "Ami--"

"The answer has to be staring me right in the face," Ami insisted. "I just know it. I mean, it can't be that difficult. She made it sound like she knew us. We must have faced her before. I thought of maybe asking Minako if she remembered anything like that mark from her Sailor V days, but she would have mentioned that, wouldn't she? Even with what's happening with Usagi, she wouldn't have--"

"She would have mentioned it," Makoto interrupted, wishing that Ami hadn't brought up that particular subject.

Ami pressed on before Makoto could say anything else to change the subject. "And then I've been thinking that Luna and Artemis must have been wrong. She has to be connected with the Silver Millennium, because what else could it be? But they seemed so certain, and I don't see how they could have forgotten something like that."

"Ami, stop it," Makoto said gently. "You're just making yourself crazy."

"No," Ami insisted, the volume of her voice quickly increasing. "I should be able to figure this out. I have to figure this out."

"But--" Makoto started.

Once again, Ami preempted her. She opened her eyes suddenly, turning her head so quickly it made Makoto's ache in sympathy. "What good am I if I can't figure this out?" Ami asked, her voice strained and clearly fighting tears.

Makoto stared at her, now completely at a loss. All she was immediately conscious of was the fact that the look in Ami's eyes was making her heart break, but she didn't know what she could do or say to make it better. And that made her wonder what use she was.

The bell rang, but it took a moment for either girl to respond to it. They stared at each other, caught in their own world that not even their other friends or family members could have infiltrated if they wanted to. No one else could have really empathized with either one of them. No one would be able to understand the pain, the helplessness, and the growing fear that perhaps neither one of them could do much of anything to fix the chaos they had fallen into.

"We better get to class," Ami said finally, turning to leave.

Makoto nodded and followed suit. "Yeah."

But all either of them really wanted to do was scream.

-----

Beruche had been watching Mizuno Ami for approaching twenty hours now, and she was no closer to finding out whether or not she and Sailor Mercury were one in the same. She was still hanging outside of a window, though this time she was peering into a classroom instead of a bedroom. The girl had been silent for most of the day, speaking only when she was spoken to, and keeping her answers short when she was called upon. Apparently this was not the norm as both the teacher and the other students seemed to be quite flustered with her inactivity. It was all very tiresome and quite boring, and it was wearing Beruche out.

Beruche sighed, leaning the side of her face into her palm. "If this girl is Sailor Mercury, she must be the most boring Sailor Senshi of them all."

"And you must be the most boring Akayashi Sister of them all by the same logic," a familiar alto voice called from some distance away.

Beruche frowned and turned around in time to see Petz arrive, presumably from the ship or from wandering around Primitive Tokyo herself. She was glaring at Beruche, but then the Sisters were quite convinced that this was Petz's permanent expression as they could not remember the last time they had seen her do anything else.

"You're following me following the Mouse?" Beruche queried lazily. "My but you have a lot of time on your hands, sister dear.

Petz huffed quietly, catching the subtle insult easily. "Master Rubeus sent me to check on you."

Beruche sniffed, turning her nose up at Petz. "Please. Master Rubeus would do no such thing unless he hadn't heard from me for days and days. You came to check on me of your own initiative."

Petz neither confirmed nor denied this accusation, but Beruche didn't need her to. She knew Petz well enough. "At least Cooan checked in every once in awhile. You haven't been back to the base since Master Rubeus sent you out."

Beruche had to concede that point. "I'm diligent. And I have no interest in hearing Cooan whine about her injuries or you yelling at her for whining or Karaberas laughing hysterically at the whole mess. And as I recall, Sailor Mars is something like a Banshee. Is she shrieking much?"

"Only when one of us gets near," Petz said. "We've been keeping our distance for the most part."

"Oh, you're all just have a gay old time, aren't you?" Beruche asked, covering her mouth as if to yawn. "Honestly, I have a choice between being bored here and being bored there. Primitive Tokyo may smell, but at least it doesn't have many feuding sisters with supernatural powers giving me a migraine."

Petz glanced in and sought out Beruche's target, finding her well enough. "You could burst in and take her. That might make things interesting."

"And we get to the real purpose of your visit," Beruche said in mock contentment, crossing her legs delicately. "I had been wondering when you would get around to it."

Petz frowned even more, making Beruche silently wonder if she was permanently disfiguring her face. "We don't have a lifetime to wait for all of you people to be absolutely certain before you take the targets."

Beruche rolled her eyes. "Oh, for pity's sake. We have access to the Time Gate.  
We have all the lifetimes we need."

"Not if Pluto can figure out a way to interfere with the Wiseman's powers," Petz snapped.

Beruche gasped, pretending to clutch at her pearls. "Why, Petz! That's as close to blasphemy as I've ever heard you get! What's next, dear? Are you going to call Prince Demando's lineage into question? I hope you don't go down this road, Petz. I would hate to report you to the proper authorities for treason and have your head severed." Beruche wrinkled her nose. "Especially since I'd probably have to witness it."

Petz practically snarled at her, an act that Beruche had always thought was more comical than frightening, though she had never bothered to mention it. "Don't be idiotic. I just want to get back to Crystal Tokyo. I hate being stuck in this city just as much as you do."

Beruche shrugged and said, "I suppose I can give you that. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to fly in through the window and drag that little mouse up to our ship only to find that she isn't Sailor Mercury. We'd have to keep her as well, and that would be far more trouble than it's worth."

"Doubting Master Rubeus isn't blasphemy?" Petz asked.

Beruche scoffed, waving a hand at Petz. "He isn't nearly important enough."

Petz shook her head, obviously tiring of the conversation. She looked back into the building and said, "What makes you think that she isn't Sailor Mercury?"

"Has Karaberas actually succeeded in driving you to distraction so that you can't see what is right in front of your face?" Beruche asked.

Petz scowled. "Just answer the question, Beruche."

"She doesn't seem that fearsome," Beruche said with a sigh, flipping her braid over her shoulder testily. "Hardly the sort that parents would use as a model threat." She turned to her eldest sister, eyebrow arched in an accusing manner. "Didn't you use to threaten to send us to Sailor Mercury and have her freeze us alive if we didn't behave?"

Petz smirked at the memory which was pleasant only for her. "I remember those days. Of course, you were too clever to fall for it and Karaberas relished in testing my limits, so it really only worked on Cooan."

Beruche sniffed, wanting to point out that she had had several nightmares about it before she'd managed to realize that Petz was lying, but she held her tongue. It was better if she didn't give her sister any sort of leverage against her. "She's hardly terrifying to look at. Not the sort of woman I'd expect to grow into such an Ice Queen."

Petz chuckled and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I could say the same for you." She laughed even louder when Beruche's shoulders hunched over, reveling in her little sister's reaction. "And children run away from you for the same reasons as I recall." Petz released one last scathing guffaw before vanishing, escaping before Beruche could recover enough to be scathing.

Beruche scowled at the place where Petz had been, fingers curled into fists beneath her blue vinyl gloves. She squeezed her eyes shut, briefly trembling from the force. She breathed for several minutes, filling her lungs to full capacity each time until she finally began to calm down. Then she turned back to the window, watching as her unsuspecting prey went through the motions of her day, never realizing that a bitter huntress was waiting for just the right moment to strike.

-----

Ami and Makoto had agreed to eat lunch separately in order to give Ami more time to sort everything out. Makoto had been, perhaps understandably, reluctant to give in, but in the end she had respected Ami's desire for space. Makoto had said something about how no one would blame her if she was unable to figure everything out, but Ami hadn't been listening very closely, already trying to find the elusive solution to their current problem.

She was sitting on the roof, her empty bento box sitting beside her on a bench. She was still wondering about their enemy, wishing that the girl who had taken Rei had been a bit more forthcoming. Then again, that did her as much good to wish that she had been strong enough to prevent Rei's abduction or to wish that the enemy had never come at all. It was useless and it did nothing to help with her problem.

Who were they? Where had they come from? Why were they there? How had they met before and why couldn't anyone remember them? The questions seemed simple enough, but she still hadn't come up with an answer.

Ami felt like crying. She needed to figure this out, for Usagi's sake and for Rei's. She had no idea how much time Rei had before something worse happened to her, but Ami was terrified that it wasn't much. She felt like it was running out, speeding towards her friend's oblivion. If not worse.

She sat there trembling for a moment until she felt as if something was beginning to life. All at once things felt like they were becoming clearer. The watch on her wrist felt very heavy, and she turned to look at it as the epiphany hit her.

"Time," she whispered.

Ami had been fixating on the idea that their enemies had known them in the past life. But now, as wild as it seemed, Ami wondered if perhaps the Sailor Senshi had not technically even met their enemies yet. Maybe they were supposed to meet five or ten years in the future.

It was a long shot, but it was all she had.

"Could that be possible?" Ami muttered, her eyes darting back and forth along a crack in the roof frantically. "Could time travel be mastered in so short a time? Then again, even if our race wouldn't have an understanding on how to make it work, perhaps another would."

Ami felt her heart begin to lift in a giddy adrenaline rush. The thought was terrifying, of course. It meant that their enemies were unable to defeat them in the future, so they had gone back to try and eradicate them in the past, making it possible for them to take over the world or steal the Ginzuishou or do whatever else it was they hoped to do years before the Senshi were ready to face them. But it also meant that Ami and the others now knew who their enemies were and it gave them a better chance at being able to meet them. The scales were still uneven, but they were on their way to balancing. That might just give them a fighting chance.

Unable to contain herself, Ami got to her feet. Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she felt as if she'd just run a marathon. But that was only what she wanted to do. She wanted to run and yell her theory as loud as her lungs could manage.

"That has to be it," Ami concluded. "They have to be from the future. That's how that girl knew us. It's how she knew to be at Hikawa Jinja." Her glee quickly retreated, leaving her with nothing but fear as the full implications of that theory played out in her mind. "Does that mean they know who we are?"

"No, it doesn't."

Ami whirled at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. She turned to face a scantily clad woman with ice blue hair standing on top of the guard fence that surrounded the school's rooftops. She was smiling at Ami, but it wasn't what anyone would call friendly. She twirled the end of her French braid between her fingertips and said, "Well, I didn't know who you were until you started talking to yourself. You know, that really is a terrible habit. People will think you're crazy." She paused, her eyes flashing. "Sailor Mercury."

Ami began to back up, swiftly running through her avenues of escape. She thought of transforming right then and there, but it was only a matter of time before one of her classmates looked up and saw the commotion on the roof. Danger or not, Ami had no intentions of revealing her identity to the entire student body until she had run out of options. "Who are you?"

"Beruche," the girl supplied with a polite bow. "Your enemy from the future. Though I don't know what you meant by a short time."

Ami furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Beruche giggled, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. "It's just that you girls don't meet us for another thousand years or so."

Ami stared at the other woman, completely slack-jawed. "What?"

Beruche sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, honestly. What am I thinking, engaging you in chit chat like this? That's just asking from one of your other little friends to come riding to your rescue." She shook her head, extending her hand upwards in a graceful arabesque. "And we can't have that now, can we, Little Mouse?"

Ami had recognized the gesture as a sign of impending attack, so she was ready to throw herself out of the way when Beruche let her magic loose. However, Ami was not expecting a huge jet of water to come surging forward, completely engulfing the area that Ami had stood. It left a large patch of ice in its wake, draining all of the blood from Ami's face.

"Your power..." Ami whispered.

"Remarkably similar to yours, wouldn't you say?" Beruche asked, holding her pose as if nothing had happened. "That's why you and I have a special bond, Sailor Mercury. We are so alike in some ways." Beruche darkened within a matter of seconds, her eyes thunderous and cold as a scowl marred her once placid features. "And that sickens me."

Beruche leapt upwards, floating on the air as she pushed her hand forward again. Another attack sped towards Ami, this one even more powerful than the last. Ami had less warning this time, but she managed to roll out of the way just in time.

Ami quickly scrambled to her feet so that she would be ready to get out of the way when the next attack came. She also noticed that the noise from the other students was growing louder. More and more people were noticing Beruche, and that meant that now Ami really had no choice in her strategy. She was just going to have to keep dodging and hope that Makoto was in a position to come to her aid in time.

"Why are you doing this?" Ami shouted up at her, hoping to buy Makoto some time.

"You're my enemy," Beruche said, her lips curled in malice. "What else would I do?" Beruche threw her arm back and fired off another shot at Ami.

This time Beruche managed to hit her on her left arm. Ami cried out in pain as the cold hit. Her arm didn't freeze, but it felt completely numb. She found that she could not move it and so it hung useless and heavy at her side. She looked back up at Beruche, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "But why are we enemies?"

Beruche seemed to find this very amusing. She laughed, throwing her head back as elegantly as she could manage. Once she calmed down, she shook her head and said, "Don't be silly, Little Mouse. How could we not be enemies?" She paused and held both of her arms up above her head, making Ami prepare to dodge again. "You insisted upon it."

Ami dodged to the right as Beruche brought her arms down, but much to her surprise, Beruche had vanished. Ami looked around frantically for her opponent, terrified of what she knew was about to happen and wishing that Makoto would hurry up and help her.

Just then, Ami felt something cold and hard hit her square in the back. She shrieked as she went flying forward towards one of the fences. She twisted quickly in the air so that her side went crashing into it instead of her face. Her head hit before anything else, and Ami's scream briefly intensified with that explosion of bright red pain. Beruche's attack was powerful enough to make the metal give way, and for a moment, Ami was falling through the air. She heard people screaming - sometimes it was her name, sometimes it wasn't. Then she felt two arms wrap around her waist, holding her tightly enough to make her want for air.

Ami's heart sank just before she slipped into unconsciousness for she knew that she had been taken.

Coming Soon - Part Six: Like Rain


	6. Like Rain

Forgotten Forever  
Part Six: Like Rain  
6/24  
by Kihin Ranno

Makoto scraped her knees when she hit the ground.

She had been sitting outside eating her lunch, leaning against the very tree where she had first met Usagi months before. She had been thinking about the situation they were in, and how it had only been a few days since they had watched Ail and Ann fly off to unknown parts. That had been a Sunday. It was now halfway through Wednesday, and she had no earthly idea where one of her best friends was. A new enemy had arrived without fanfare, taking them completely by surprise. There had been no time. There had been no warning shots. Rei had been there and then gone.

Makoto had never felt more helpless in her life.

It was around that time that the screaming had started. Makoto had leapt to her feet automatically, searching for whatever danger there was for her to face. It had taken her a moment to notice that people were running back towards the school building and not away from anything. Makoto had quickly followed them and added her own scream to the clamor when she saw Ami break through the fence and start to plummet towards the Earth.

"Ami!"

She had run forward faster than anyone else - faster than she had thought possible. She felt rocks digging into the soles of her shoes, bruising her feet and making her stumble. She managed to keep her balance and keep dashing towards the school until another woman wearing the same mark that Rei's abductor had appeared just behind Ami. When the woman wrapped her arms around Ami's waist and vanished while hanging in midair, Makoto had tripped and gone sprawling to the ground.

Now her knees were bleeding and her wrists hurt, but Makoto didn't so much as flinch. She merely kept staring at the spot where Ami once had been and began to sort it out in her head. She had just been getting used to the idea that Rei would not be there if Makoto chose to stop by the shrine on Sendai Hill. Even though she had seen it happen, there was something surreal about the experience. Something made it difficult for Makoto to completely understand everything that had happened.

Now the same thing had happened with Ami. One minute everything was perfectly normal, and the next Makoto was trembling on the ground with bleeding knees and a raw throat. And Ami was gone.

"Ami..." Makoto whispered, suddenly realizing that she wasn't taking air into her lungs. She reminded herself to breathe and tried to stop shaking.

"Ms. Kino?" a gentle, but obviously frightened voice said from behind her. Makoto did not have to turn around to figure out that it was Haruna Sakurada, a teacher who was rather infamous for her temper. For a moment, Makoto was hard-pressed to believe that this was the woman who had once threatened to push a student out the window. "Ms. Kino, are you all right?"

She turned to look at the older woman, who was crouched down beside her. She was whiter than death, but still calm compared to some of the other students. Makoto was just now realizing it, but the screaming hadn't stopped yet. Some students were rushing back into the building, others were attempting to get past the makeshift blockade the teachers had set up at the front gate, and still more were frozen in place like Makoto was, staring at the emptiness that chaos had filled just moments before.

"Ms. Kino?" Haruna asked again, lifting her hand as if she was contemplating shaking her.

Makoto wanted to tell her that she was most certainly not fine. At least she had been given the opportunity to save Rei. Ami hadn't even transformed. It been too quick, too public. She had been too alone.

Makoto should have been with her. She should have been able to move faster. She should have been more aware of what was going on around her. She should have been ready for another attack. She should not have let Ami get hurt.

But now she had to deal with fallout.

"I need to call Usagi," Makoto said, her voice pitched low and kept steady with impeccable control. "And our other friend, Minako. You met her I think."

Haruna nodded, but Makoto wasn't sure if she had actually been listening. "Ms. Kino, you didn't answer my question."

Makoto almost told her it didn't matter, but she decided not to be rude. Instead, she pulled herself to her feet, ignoring Haruna when she offered a hand to help her stand. Makoto rubbed her left wrist. "And Dr. Mizuno as well. I think it would be better if I told her."

Haruna began to say something more, but Makoto was already walking away from her. She wouldn't wait for anyone's permission to make those calls. They had to be told, and Makoto was going to be the one to tell them. And when she spoke to them, she was going to be completely steady and not even think about shedding a tear.

-----

"I'm home!" Beruche called out as she reappeared at the base, the now unconscious body of Mizuno Ami dropping to the ground. She arrived just outside of the cell that Rei was being kept in, and Beruche immediately wondered why she had thought that landing there would be the easiest course of action.

Rei had been sleeping fitfully when Beruche arrived, but the sound of her voice woke the captive up at an alarming speed. Her eyes were wide and mouth opened to yell the moment she saw Ami's body on the floor.

"So help me, Sailor Mars, if you start shrieking again, I will set off that collar at such a level that you'll be nothing more than a drooling vegetable," Rubeus threatened as he arrived from another area of the ship, apparently having sensed Beruche's arrival.

Rei stared at him, not only due to the threat but because she had never seen him or Beruche before. She took a deep breath and glanced at each of them in turn. Beruche took note of how much distance the girl kept between her and the barricade that kept her caged. Classical conditioning at its finest she supposed. "Are you going to hurt her?"

Beruche laughed quietly, covering her mouth with her hand. "It's a little late for that, Sailor Mars."

Any hope of Rei keeping calm quickly went out the window. She darkened fast enough to rival a sudden summer storm. She did not advance to the edge of the cell as one would have thought. Nor in fact did she actually get a chance to say much of anything at all.

Anticipating the inevitable eruption, Rubeus sighed and snapped his fingers in Rei's direction. It set her collar off, and she was forced to her knees, shrieking and clawing at her neck as if it were her only chance for survival.

Beruche covered her ears, wincing. "And how is that an improvement?"

Rubeus shrugged, a smirk spreading across his lips. "I suppose it isn't. But I find it more satisfying." That said, he crouched down next to Ami's body, looking her over as he had done Mars when she had first arrived. He furrowed his brow, noting that she was still in her civilian form. He looked up at Beruche and said, "Are you sure it's her?"

"She admitted as much," Beruche said, sticking her fingers in her ears and talking too loudly so she could be heard over Rei's continued screams. "And she's just as clever as Mercury is in the future. She managed to figure out that we had to be from the future, no doubt because Cooan said something that she shouldn't have, and could you please turn that damn thing off? I kept away from this place to avoid a migraine, and you are making me wish I had just stayed out there among the primitives."

Rubeus chuckled, well aware of Beruche's distaste for their current situation. "You must really hate headaches," he observed before snapping his fingers once more. It disabled the collar for the time being, granting Rei some relief. The instant it was over she fell to the ground, completely prostrate.

Much to Beruche's relief, she did so silently.

Beruche then began to go through Ami's pockets, deciding that she was kind enough to do it herself rather than leave it up to him. In addition to his reputation of being a fearsome killer, there was also a rather nasty rumor involving several female members of Demando's army in the division Rubeus had served in before his promotion. Beruche didn't think about it much, nor did she think about the two women who had swallowed their guns shortly after they had been court-martialed for slandering a superior officer. True or not, Cooan had never been left alone with him.

She frowned slightly, muttering, "Now since she didn't transform, she should have her henshin pen and computer somewhere on her." A few moments later, Beruche located the items in her breast pocket.

When she held them up to the light, both she and Rubeus found themselves in a state of confusion.

"That doesn't look like hers, does it?" Beruche asked, tilting her head in Rei's general direction.

Rubeus shook his head. "No. It doesn't."

Beruche's frown deepened. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but she was certain that she didn't like it. "What do you suppose it means?"

"No idea," Rubeus admitted. He looked over at Rei, who was trying very hard not to groan in case either of her captors found that offensive as well. "You. Do you know why this looks different?"

Rei looked over in their direction, though Beruche was certain that she was having trouble focusing on them. She took a deep breath, as if even speaking took a considerable amount of effort after the last ordeal, and said, "If I did know, do you honestly think that I would tell you about it?"

Rubeus glared and said, "Perhaps I can teach you to be more responsive."

Rei laughed, sounding exhausted and a little on edge. "As I recall, being responsive was exactly what made you hurt me the last time."

Rubeus curled his lip unpleasantly and raised his arm to set off the collar again. Beruche practically put herself in between the two of them, waving her arms to attract Rubeus's attention without actually laying hands on him. "Don't do it again. Let her be sullen if she wants. She probably doesn't know anymore than we do."

Rubeus considered the matter for a moment while having an intense staring contest with the still drained Sailor Mars. He finally let his arm drop and turned back to Beruche. Both women were obviously relieved.

"I suppose you're right," he admitted, though he said it in a way that didn't suggest that he had been at all in the wrong. "Anyway, does it matter?"

Beruche considered it for a moment. Then she shrugged and said, "Not to me. My job is done now that we have her. But it might be of some importance to Karaberas and Petz. I'll mention it to them next time I see them."

"See that you do," Rubeus said in a tone meant to reassert his importance. She thought that perhaps he was subtly hinting that Beruche had a tendency to speak to him as if she were his equal as opposed to his subordinate. Beruche thought that he should be grateful she didn't speak to him as if he were her inferior. She had certainly been tempted to do so on numerous occasions.

But again, she valued her life.

Beruche then glanced down at the tiny blue computer she held in her other hand. It was a tool she had seen many times in their battles with Crystal Tokyo, though this was certainly an older model. It looked and felt heavier than she had imagined, and the color was much brighter than it was several centuries into the future. She opened the case, and saw four colored buttons corresponding to the four other Senshi. They were similar to the ones that had been on the pink device they had taken off of Sailor Mars when she had first been brought to them the day before.

"This must be what she uses as a communicator," Beruche surmised. "It's easier to just carry this around as opposed to both."

Rubeus snorted, closing his eyes. "Because that's such a hardship," he said bitterly.

Beruche narrowed her eyes, though she took care not to completely glare at the man. "You know what I mean."

He nodded, though Beruche wasn't fully convinced that he wasn't still taking offense to the comment. Had he been anyone else, she would have called him a fool for reading into her statement that much. Instead, she kept her face blank and voice perfectly civil as she asked, "Are you going to put that same thing on the Little Mouse?"

Rubeus gave her an odd look, realizing a few moments later that she was referring to Mercury. He held out his hand, producing the same collar that was hanging on Mars's pale neck as they spoke. Beruche took it from him without being asked, and Rubeus collected Mercury's tools in turn, sticking them in his pocket to deposit them in a safer place when he had the chance.

Beruche wasted little time in clamping the collar around Mercury's throat. It crackled with energy for a moment, making the girl whimper in her sleep. When it faded, the seam of the collar had disappeared, the material fusing together completely. Now only Rubeus or one of the other Akayashi sisters could remove the binding.

"Put her in with the other one," Rubeus said, pushing himself to his feet.

Beruche looked up at Rubeus, arching an eyebrow. Knowing that she was calling his judgment into question, she took on a more subservient tone. "Are you sure that's wise, Master Rubeus?"

He chuckled and said, "What harm can they do? They don't have access to their powers, and the collars go off any time they do anything I don't approve of." He reached down and grabbed Ami by the arm, holding her so that she looked disturbingly like a sad little rag doll. He grinned down at Beruche and said, "But if it worries you so much, I'll do it."

Beruche watched as Rubeus waved his hand, opening the door to the cell that had not seemed to exist just seconds before. Rei was just forcing herself to her knees, perhaps contemplating a sudden escape now given this opportunity. Rubeus hardly gave her time to draw another breath. He literally threw Ami at her, giving the girl no choice but the catch the falling form of her friend. She staggered back underneath her weight, landing flat on her back as Rubeus closed the door once more.

Beruche smiled coolly as she straightened, twirling the end of her braid between her fingers as was her habit. "It's nice to know that you treat all of your prisoners with the same amount of humanity, Master Rubeus."

Rubeus stared at her for a moment, puzzled and obviously not comprehending her meaning. Beruche didn't doubt that he would have figured it out eventually, had Rei not interrupted their conversation once more.

"What did you do to her?" Rei demanded loudly, her violet eyes sparkling with rage.

Beruche shrugged at both Rei and Rubeus. "She kept dodging. I had to take her down somehow."

Rei obviously wanted to point out that she still didn't see the point in the attacks at all, but she knew better than to bring it up. She brought up her right hand from where it had been cradling Ami's head. Even in the poor lighting, Beruche could see that it was wet with blood. "She's wounded. She needs care."

Beruche raised an eyebrow at the damage she had done, but then she remembered when Ami had gone crashing through the fence. It was entirely possible that she had hurt her head on the metal, which could have resulted in either a simple cut or a serious head injury. She frowned, remembering what Rubeus had said about keeping their captives alive until they were given further instructions. So she nodded her head sharply and turned to go, saying, "I'll bandage her for you."

"Why?" Rei demanded, finding no reason to trust any of them.

Beruche looked over her shoulder and said, "It's what I do. I clean up the wounded when they're foolish enough to let themselves get hurt. And besides, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of dragging her back here if I wanted her dead."

Rei was scowling at her. The expression was powerful enough to hold Beruche behind for a moment. "You're the one who hurt her to begin with. How can I trust you to help her after you did that?"

Beruche shrugged. "I suppose you can't," she said quite honestly. "Though if it makes you feel any better, I'd really rather let her die."

Rei's cheeks colored and she opened her mouth to respond, probably loudly, but Beruche did not remain to hear it. She teleported to the medical area of the ship, where all of the bandages and supplies were kept for such an emergency. She was only slightly surprised to see both Cooan and Karaberas there, the latter changing the former's bandages. Even Beruche, who was used to seeing rather nasty injuries,  
looked away suddenly at the sight of one of Cooan's arms.

"You couldn't have ducked?" Beruche asked, not caring that she was being callous at that particular moment.

Cooan sniffled from behind her, though she tried to cover it up by coughing. "Shut up, Beruche."

"Honestly, Cooan, if you want to cry just go ahead and do it," Karaberas scolded. "I might not be sympathetic, but I have less patience for you whimpering than I do for you bawling." The older girl sighed and then must have looked at Beruche's back for the sound of her voice suddenly became louder. "Taking a break from following the suspect, Beruche?"

Beruche smiled, more than a little smug at having caught Sailor Mercury and coming out of it completely unharmed. It was enough to make her turn back around, though she took care not to look below her sisters' chins. "Actually, I'm not taking a break from anything. I'm quite finished."

Cooan's jaw dropped in shock and indignation. "You mean you've captured her? Already?"

Beruche nodded in assent. "Perhaps if you hadn't come back to the base and followed Mars more closely, you would have found her earlier as well."

Cooan's cheeks colored in anger and embarrassment, briefly reminding Beruche of Sailor Mars's reactions to her several minutes earlier. "But you don't even have a mark on you!"

"That's because Beruche's better than you, idiot," Karaberas said cruelly, but always with a smile on her face. Of course, this did nothing to take the edge off her words. That was the point.

"I simply didn't give her the chance to transform," Beruche said, feigning humility when she couldn't have been any prouder of herself.

Karaberas found that bit of information interesting, which was saying something since it was very difficult to make Karaberas be interested in anything other than irritating her older sister. "Oh, really? But you're certain it's her?"

"Very," Beruche said, entirely disinterested in elaborating upon the story. In order to make this perfectly clear, she began to rifle through the medical supplies, gathering up the necessary bandages and ointments for Ami's injury.

Karaberas laughed, her voice loud and shrill enough to briefly exacerbate Beruche's fading headache. "Well, that is wonderful, Beruche. I am very happy that you managed that so quickly."

"Why?" Cooan asked suspiciously, echoing Beruche's thoughts.

"Because Petz is going to be furious," Karaberas confided, absolutely ecstatic at the thought.

"Of course," Beruche said lightly. "Why else would you be so happy?"

"Why is Petz going to be angry?" Cooan asked.

"You mean aside from the obvious reason of her life being a miserable, empty replica of an actual existence?" Karaberas said scathingly.

Cooan snorted at that, though she tried to hide it.

"She is going to be livid because she has been growing ridiculously impatient that she hasn't been sent out to find Sailor Jupiter," Karaberas explained, tying off the end of Cooan's bandage. "She's been stomping around the ship, muttering about it to herself. It's hilarious!"

Beruche tapped her finger on her chin. "Is that why she came and saw me earlier? She was yelling at me for spending too much time following and not enough time taking."

"Probably," Karaberas said. "I don't know if she thinks we can only go one at a time or if she was just venting at you because you're the only one who would put up with it." She reached over to the table next to Cooan and gathered up the dirty, slightly bloody bandages with some degree of distaste. She held them out in front of her and said, "I'm going to go dispose of these disgusting things. Ciao." With that goodbye, she vanished from their sight, leaving Beruche and Cooan alone.

Beruche was just gathering up the last of the materials she was going to need when Cooan stopped her movements with her voice. "Beruche?" she said.

Beruche turned, wondering at the curious, tentative tone Cooan was using. It wasn't one heard often from any of them. "What is it? Did Karaberas make your bindings too tight?"

"No," Cooan said, moving both of her arms to demonstrate her point. "I was just wondering something."

"If you've been using that ointment correctly, you won't scar," Beruche said, sighing and finding that her younger sister was being very tiresome. "If that's all, I have to--"

"That's not what I was going to ask," Cooan insisted, looking insulted.

Beruche raised an eyebrow. "Really. I'm shocked. Would you mind actually asking the question before the turn of the century, Cooan?"

Cooan swallowed, glaring and clearly wanting to get into an argument with Beruche about how their conversation was going. Miraculously, Cooan managed to control her temper in order to ask, "If you had to choose between saving one of us and saving some citizens of Nemesis that you didn't know, what would you do?"

Beruche blinked at her sister several times. "What?"

"I said--"

"No, I heard you. I was just wondering if you were also kicked in the head in addition to those burns," Beruche said, grabbing a few cotton balls as she readied to leave.

Cooan narrowed her eyes more, her fingers twitching at her sides. "Just answer the question, Beruche."

Beruche sighed, shutting her eyes as if she were all too put upon. "Honestly, I don't know why you feel the need to ask me such nonsense. That's the simplest question I have ever been asked."

"Oh?" Cooan said, apparently thinking that the so-called moral dilemma was a difficult one.

Beruche nodded. "I would take care of myself. The rest of you can just save your own lives."

Cooan was surprised by her answer, and she was probably going to try and get into an argument with Beruche about that so that she could vent her frustrations. Unfortunately for her, Beruche was in no mood to deal with anyone else's temper that day. She vanished before her sister could say a single word to her, planning on taking a very long soak in the tub once she was finished correcting her own non-errors.

-----

Makoto had gotten in touch with both Usagi and Minako, and it had been decided by one of them - though they would never be able to remember exactly who made the decision - that they would meet at Makoto's apartment as soon as all of them were able. Makoto was allowed to leave without much comment from any of the teachers or administration. Granted, they didn't often make much fuss over her due to her height and reputation, but she sensed that their silence could be attributed to sympathy as opposed to fear in this particular instance.

She wasn't at all surprised to find Usagi sitting outside of her door when she got to her apartment some twenty minutes later. She was clutching Luna to her chest, her eyes red and her face white. She was still wearing her school uniform from the day before, her bangs hanging in her face as if they wanted a good washing. Makoto had made no comment as she reached her apartment door. She merely bent down and gathered the smaller girl into her arms, neither knowing nor caring if she cried into the embrace. Makoto waited several minutes before helping Usagi to her feet and leading her inside the apartment. Then they sat on the couch in complete silence and waited for the last members of their group to arrive.

It was another fifteen minutes before they heard the knock at the door. Makoto was not eager to get up and leave Usagi even for a moment, so she called out to the person she knew was on the other side of the door. "Door's open!"

There was a slight hesitation before the apartment door opened. Artemis came in first, his head and whiskers dragging near the ground. Minako followed soon after, her jaw clenched painfully and her eyes focused on the floor. She shut the door behind her, but she didn't move further into the living room. Instead, she remained leaning against the wood while Usagi and Makoto remained stationary on the couch.

Makoto couldn't help but note how clearly the boundaries had been drawn.

The five of them stayed silent for a few moments more. Surprisingly, when the quiet was shattered, Usagi was the one to do it. Makoto and Minako both jumped a bit at the sound of her voice, as if they hadn't heard it in decades.

"Was it the same people?" she asked, her voice sounding hoarse. "The same ones who took Rei?"

Makoto nodded somberly. "She had the same mark on her forehead."

"What could they possibly want?" Artemis asked, briefly extending his claws.

Luna looked over at him and nearly sounded chiding in her response. "I'd say that's fairly obvious. They want the girls."

"But why?" Artemis pressed, elaborating on his point. "What could they possibly gain from kidnapping them?"

"Could they use our power for something?" Makoto asked, interjecting before anyone could continue on that road. She knew (and she was sure that Minako and Luna knew as well) that Artemis was asking why they hadn't just been killed. For whatever reason,  
they were worth more dead than alive, and they needed to figure out why as soon as possible.

Maybe Usagi knew that too, but Makoto didn't think that she needed to hear it said aloud.

Luna shook her head sadly. "I honestly have no idea."

"The woman who took Mars said something about revenge," Minako said quietly.

Artemis nodded. "That's why Ami thought that they were connected with the Silver Millennium."

"But they aren't," Luna reiterated, her ears twitching in anticipation of anyone else theorizing about it.

"Could they just need Mercury and Mars for something?" Minako asked, her hand still gripping the doorknob. "I can't think of what, but..." she trailed off, finding that her theory was ineffectual given what it was missing.

"That woman also said that they would be back for Usagi," Makoto reminded them, once again tightening her grip on the girl next to her. She was no longer sure if it was to comfort Usagi or reassure herself that she was still there.

Minako nodded, remembering. "I thought it was an idle threat. They always say that."

"They didn't come after me," Usagi said quietly. "They went after Ami." As soon as she was finished with that sentence, she began to pull her lower lip into her mouth, a sure sign that she was trying not to cry.

Makoto's face fell in a rush of empathy. "Oh, Usagi," she whispered, uncertain of what else there was to say.

"I should have been there," Usagi said quietly, resting her forehead on her knuckles. "I knew that I should have just gotten out of bed, but I just... didn't."

"There's nothing you would have been able to do," Makoto soothed, rubbing Usagi's back and giving her shoulders an extra squeeze. "You and Minako could have both been there, and she still would have been taken."

"Why?" Minako asked, not quite making eye contact.

Makoto sighed, shutting her eyes tiredly. "I wasn't with Ami when it happened. She was by herself on the roof, and... She didn't even have time to transform. I don't think there was anything we would have been able to do."

Minako blinked, straightening a bit. "Why weren't you with her?"

Makoto opened her mouth to answer the question honestly, finding that there was no reason to mask the truth or take offense. It was a fair inquiry, one that Luna and Artemis clearly had as well, and she thought nothing of it. Unfortunately, Usagi had read more into Minako's fidgeting and tone that Makoto thought was fair, so she did not have the chance to speak.

"It isn't her fault," Usagi told Minako, her voice cracking.

Minako blanched a bit. Makoto saw her knuckles start to go pale as her hold on the doorknob increased. "I didn't say it was."

"You blame her for what happened, don't you?" Usagi accused, the volume of her voice rising.

Now Minako started to get angry. "I never accused anyone of anything!"

Usagi didn't seem to find this a sufficient answer. "But that's what you think, isn't it? That it was Makoto's fault."

Minako trembled a bit and leaned forward without actually taking a whole step towards Usagi. "I don't think anyone did anyone wrong! I just think that Ami got kidnapped and now we have to get her back! That's all I care about. I don't want to assign blame or get angry at anyone. I just want Ami and Rei back with us."

"Then why did you ask where she was?" Usagi demanded.

"It was just a question!" Minako insisted.

"You don't just say things, Minako," Usagi said, and everyone there knew that she was no longer completely talking about what had transpired in the apartment. "You always have a reason, and I'm not sure they're always good ones."

Minako pushed her lips together so that they looked almost white under her fading lip gloss. Makoto saw the blonde's gaze drop to the floor while her eyelashes fluttered frantically, obviously upset. Then Minako turned around, stepping back into her shoes and picking up her school bag. "If all we're going to do is argue, I don't see much of a reason in staying."

Artemis and Luna, who had been staying out of the spat in the hope that it would resolve itself, now found that they had to step in. Both of them bounded over to Minako, getting under her feet and keeping her from pulling open the door or moving very much at all.

"Minako, hold on a minute," Artemis said gently, deciding that now was probably not the best time to raise his voice to his charge.

Minako opened her mouth to protest, but for once it seemed she was willing to listen to him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to attempt to calm down. After a moment, she nodded, but she neither moved nor let go of the doorknob.

Luna shook her head and said, "Listen, I know that... there are some issues between you girls, and I'm not going to insist that everyone make up right away. Forcing you to resolve your problems before you're ready would do more harm than good."

"That being said," Artemis continued, taking care to make sure that Minako was paying particular attention. "You are going to have to work together and figure out a way to do so without getting into any fights. I think it's become fairly obvious that we haven't seen the last of these... Black Moon people."

Makoto almost asked how he knew what they were called, but then she realized that he was just calling them that for the sake of naming them something. If they had a name, they might seem more real to the girls and that might alleviate some of their denial.

"They're picking us off one at a time," Luna added, stressing each syllable so that she was certain that she was understood. "If you're going to save yourselves and get Ami and Rei back, you're going to have to stay together as much as possible. We can't afford to be at each other's throats right now."

"You already have enemies," Artemis concluded. "Don't make enemies of each other as well."

Makoto could tell that Minako was considering this for a moment and that she began to come around to that idea by allowing her shoulders to sag. She looked at the pair on the couch, silently asking them if they would agree to such a thing. Makoto turned to Usagi, deciding that it was best to follow her lead given what had happened.

Usagi did not say or do anything.

Minako waited for what felt like a small equivalent of eternity. While it was probably only a few minutes, the lack of response went on for long enough to make Usagi's answer clear. Minako nodded sharply and pulled the door open, sending the two cats scattering away in order to avoid being hit.

"Fine," she said, sounding as if she was having a hard time speaking. "Whatever. You two do as you please."

Artemis moved forward, this time raising his voice if only to be heard. "Minako, don't."

"Forget it," she snapped, shaking her head. "I took care of myself in London... I can do it again."

That said, Minako crossed the threshold, slamming the door behind her.

-----

The news about Mizuno Ami's abduction broke almost as quickly as Rei's did. Only this time, Mamoru had not been watching television when he heard of the news. Motoki had gotten wind of it first and called his friend in the hospital. Without quite knowing why, Mamoru had asked Motoki to come over as soon as he was able. Motoki waited until after he was finished with his afternoon classes, but he showed up as soon as he possibly could.

Motoki appeared at his doorway, presenting himself in a way that might have been funny if he had put any real effort into it. "Here as requested, your majesty."

Mamoru decided not to even bother to pretend that Motoki's entrance had been amusing. "Sorry if I--"

"Do not go there," Motoki insisted, almost glaring at Mamoru. He stepped into the room, shrugging off his coat and setting down his book bag on the floor. "If you want to see me, then just say you want to see me. So don't worry about it."

The corner of Mamoru's mouth eased up as if to smile, but it wasn't as convincing as he would have liked. He dragged a hand through his already unkempt hair and heaved a frustrated sigh. "I still can't believe it. Both of them. Both of them are gone."

Motoki nodded gravely, pulling a chair up to Mamoru's bedside. "I was staring at the display window of an electronics store for ten minutes before I called you. That's how I heard about it."

"It's ridiculous," Mamoru proclaimed, laughing mirthlessly at the absurdity of the situation. "Kidnappings are rare around here to begin with. But two supernatural kidnappings taking place just days apart involving very close friends?" He shook his head, throwing up a hand. "Ridiculous!"

"I can't imagine how the other girls are taking this," Motoki muttered softly, his brow furrowed in worry. "Usagi must be worried sick. They all must be."

Mamoru frowned, thinking back to how Usagi had behaved with him just hours before the incident with Rei had occurred. She had already seemed upset about something, though he still didn't know what. He wasn't normally a sympathetic person, but he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't fair that so much was getting thrown at her at once.

"They're stronger than they look," Mamoru said, wondering what exactly was making him say that. "They can handle it."

Motoki looked at Mamoru for a moment, his confusion evident on his face, but he said nothing about it. He merely shut his eyes and said, "Even so. I hope they're all right."

"They will be," Mamoru whispered.

Motoki opened his eyes, not having heard. "What was that?"

Mamoru looked at him for a moment, his eyes wide as if surprised that Motoki had asked. He shook his head and said, "Forget it. Just mumbling."

Motoki raised an eyebrow. "I thought your head injuries were minimal," he joked lamely.

"Misdiagnosis I guess," Mamoru said with a shrug.

Motoki chuckled, but Mamoru was still certain that he wasn't the only one who was deeply troubled by what was going on. The pair's conversation trailed off for a few minutes, but eventually Motoki seemed to decide that he needed to say his piece.

"I'm worried."

Mamoru looked up, blinking a few times. "About what?"

Motoki glanced away and scratched the back of his head, a sure sign that he was embarrassed about something. "That this has something to do with... what happened to you."

"Oh," Mamoru answered, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn't considered that possibility before, but now that Motoki brought it up, it seemed terribly obvious. What if someone (or something) had decided to exact revenge on those who had been involved in the destruction of the tree? Or what if the six of them had seen something they weren't meant to see? What if it was necessary that they be removed? What if he was in danger again?

"Shit," Mamoru muttered, letting his head fall back onto his pillow.

Motoki winced, regretting his words. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm glad you did," Mamoru admitted, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "And may I just add, for the record, **shit**."

"Well, don't panic," Motoki said hastily. "That probably isn't even it."

"I sure as hell hope not," Mamoru said, trying very hard not to sound like he was panicking since Motoki had told him not to. "I am in no mood and no condition to deal with any more monsters or whatever else is out there right now. Or ever for that matter."

Motoki smiled ruefully. "I don't think you can resign your position from the pool of potential victims."

Mamoru looked up at his friend, scowling. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?"

"When are you ever?" Motoki answered, unable to help himself. He was clearly terrified by his own thoughts, and fear always made him desperate for levity. It was why he made fun of horror movies. When he saw that Mamoru was getting even more upset, he quickly backed off, holding up both of his hands. "Stopping. I promise." He took a breath and continued, "But really, I think I'm just worrying about nothing because... well, I do it so often."

Mamoru snorted, finding that this was quite the understatement.

Motoki ignored him. "I was talking about it with Saori, and she said that I was being an idiot. She made the point that if this did have something to do with what happened to you, they probably would have kidnapped you first."

Mamoru glanced down at his current state. He was still hooked up to several machines, and while he was starting to be able to see the actual color of his flesh again, the majority of his body was still black from bruises and white from bandages. He raised both of his eyebrows and said, "Here, you have a point."

Motoki smiled sheepishly. "I probably should have led off with that, right?"

"Well, thanks to you, I think I'm going to die three years earlier than I was supposed to," Mamoru grumbled. "But you know. It happens."

"Sorry," Motoki added, a little unnecessarily.

Mamoru nodded, thinking that perhaps he ought to reassure Motoki and tell him that the matter was closed and all but forgotten, but his mind had moved on to other things: the mention of his vulnerability and the ease with which he could have been taken had that been the enemy's intent (and how silly it was to call them "the enemy" as if they were his personal adversary). It conjured up the still fresh memory of his late night visitor. He had chosen not to think about it up until that moment, finding that there were far too many other things that were upsetting him to process it. But now he was beginning to and, finding that he had a confidante in Motoki, he decided to do it aloud.

"Could I tell you something?" Mamoru asked, hoping that Motoki didn't think it was idiotic of him to ask that.

Motoki might have blinked but only instinctually. "Of course."

Lines creased Mamoru's head as he concentrated on the events of the previous night. Not that it was particularly difficult to think about, but there were times when he was certain that it had been nothing more than a dream. But her voice was too vivid, her anger too palpable, and she had left the window open.

"Someone was in here last night," Mamoru began with uncertainty, and he decided that this was what it felt like to try and answer a teacher's question when you hadn't cracked the book yet.

Motoki raised an eyebrow, not comprehending. "Oh?"

"Someone who wasn't supposed to be here," Mamoru clarified, glancing up at Motoki's face to see his reaction.

Predictably, the worry that had been assuaged came flooding back with enough strength to force Motoki to his feet. Even though he was of average height, he towered over Mamoru for the moment, his face like chalk dust. "Someone-- who-- Crap, Mamoru, why didn't you call me? Are you all right? Did they try to--"

Anticipating the rest of the question, Mamoru decided it was best to answer him before he actually managed to finish his sentence. "No. She didn't touch me."

Motoki's lips twitched. He probably would have made a joke if the subject hadn't been so serious. Mamoru almost wished that he would anyway. For whatever reason, the unspoken comment meant that reality was starting to set back in. Motoki retook his seat. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

Mamoru nodded with certainty in spite of his earlier doubts. "Very."

Motoki sighed, closing his eyes as if he was much put upon, though Mamoru never got the idea that he shouldn't stop speaking. Motoki inhaled again and said, "What happened?"

The story was a short one when properly told, but Mamoru found himself expounding on how the visitation had made him feel. He described in a kind of clumsy, poetic detail about how afraid he had been even though the person had made no outward threat. How idiotic he was certain he had been doing nothing but asking her questions and receiving no clear answers. He even touched about his confusion and frustration at her implication that he had forgotten something - something important - and how he couldn't even begin to think of what that could have been.

The only things he didn't tell Motoki was the last thing she had said and how similar this meeting had been to another, feeling that these were on a level of privacy that should not be breeched.

When he was finished, Motoki seemed quite sure that were he a doctor, he would now call in for a psych consult. But in addition to that, he seemed predominately sad. It took Mamoru a moment to figure out why that was.

"Mamoru, I think I know what this is actually about," Motoki said softly. "And I'm going to ask you again... Are you all right?"

It was then that Mamoru understood. He recognized the careful, pitying tone and the downward slop of his eyes. It was the same reaction he had received from the doctor who told him that his parents were dead and all the other people who knew that detail of his life from that moment forward. Motoki thought that the dream was some strange manifestation of his guilt over the amnesia he had received from the car accident. They had spoken about it before. Motoki no doubt assumed that his stay in the hospital had conjured it up, and he found that just as worrying as some stranger coming into Mamoru's room.

Mamoru swallowed, a small twinge of sorrow rising up. "You're right," he croaked. "It was probably a dream."

Motoki nodded, letting a moment pass between them. Then he reached forward and laid a hand on Mamoru's shoulder, squeezing. It made Mamoru tense, but Motoki didn't move or flinch. He knew that his brooding friend was not used to being touched.

They spent the rest of the visit in silence, holding that pose with ease. Their thoughts, however, were not blessed as much, and they could not help but think of missing girls, lost memories, and ominous strangers.

-----

It had been several hours since the disastrous meeting between the Senshi, and Luna still had not settled down. She was annoyed with all of the girls for not realizing how important it was for all of them to stick together. It seemed terribly obvious to her. Both Ami and Rei had been alone when they were taken. The solution to preventing another kidnapping was not learning how to run faster when danger announced itself - it was to never be apart if they could help it.

But Usagi would have none if it. And since Makoto was holding her tongue for reasons Luna could not even begin to fathom, Minako was left out in the cold. That left all three of them vulnerable in addition to leaving both felines quite vexed.

Artemis had agreed to try and convince Minako to keep herself aligned with Usagi and Makoto in spite of their differences, but he hadn't had high hopes. When he had finally heard what happened, he hadn't been at all pleased with Usagi's handling of the situation. Truth be told, neither was Luna. But she was in no hurry to tell the truth about that.

Luna had already come to the conclusion that Makoto would do just about anything Usagi said to, which placed the girl in a position she must have loathed. Luna would have liked to convince her to try and get Usagi to see reason, but the cat had decided that it might be more beneficial if she face Usagi on the issue by herself. If Makoto had stood with her on the issue, Usagi might take it as a personal attack, which would naturally be counter-productive. Luna was just going to have to hope that she could make Usagi see reason on her own. She had done it before.

"I don't want to talk about it." That was Usagi's response to even hinting about the incident along with pulling the covers up over her head.

Clearly, it was going to be even harder than Luna anticipated.

"Usagi," Luna began, hopping up onto Usagi's bed, fully prepared to do whatever it took to get the girl to see reason. "I realize that you don't want to talk about it. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that I am going to discuss this with you whether you like it or not." She paused, hoping that Usagi would respond. When she remained silent, Luna didn't fret. She had plenty of strategies. "You can't treat Minako as poorly as you did and expect me not to say anything."

It worked better than Luna could have hoped. Usagi threw the covers off her head and sat up, her fingers bunching up her comforter. "She was accusing Makoto--"

"She was not," Luna interrupted, twitching her whiskers. "I was about to ask the same question, and I'm sure Artemis would say the same."

Usagi didn't seem to think that that meant very much. "Artemis would say or do anything for Minako's sake."

Luna's hair bristled at the implication. "Usagi, that's what I'm talking about. You can't talk like that just because you're not having the easiest time."

"Don't act like it isn't true!" Usagi snapped. "He'd do anything for her sake."

"Well, of course he would, Usagi. He's been with her since the beginning for heaven's sake. And don't pass judgment on him for doing the same thing that I would do for you."

That seemed to sober Usagi, though she was by no means content because of it. All it really did was draw the conversation away from Artemis and back to Minako - the only person Usagi was really angry with. "I just don't think it was her place to insinuate that it was Makoto's fault."

Luna was tempted to repeat that she was certain that wasn't Minako's intention, but she realized now that it was senseless to try to convince Usagi of that. So she took a deep breath and switched tactics once again. "Somehow, I don't that your feelings towards Minako have anything to do with Makoto."

Usagi was clearly surprised, but she attempted to cover it up. She wasn't very good at it. "I don't know what you're--"

"Minako finally told Artemis what happened, Usagi," Luna interrupted calmly. "And Artemis told me."

Luna decided to let that information process through Usagi's mind for the moment. She watched as it registered with Usagi and as the girl allowed the full extent of her feelings to come to the surface. It didn't take very long. Her face flushed a light shade of pink, though it was definitely not out of embarrassment, and she slapped her mattress. "She didn't have the right to say that about Mamoru and me!"

Luna had been certain of that the entire time, but that didn't change the fact that she winced once she heard it spoken aloud. She did not approve of Usagi taking that attitude. She couldn't believe that Usagi was being so flippant about her relationship with Minako over a man, Endymion reincarnate or not. If she had hands, she was certain she would shake her. But she was limited, so she could only hope to do it verbally.

"Usagi, I still find it hard to believe that you of all people would do that," Luna said harshly. "After everything Minako has done for you, after everything she's sacrificed--"

"And what about what I sacrificed?" Usagi demanded. "I gave up my life too. I've given up friends, I've given up time, I've given up my life, and all I ask for in return is a little happiness. But I can't have that, and she doesn't seem to care."

"She does care, Usagi," Luna countered. "She wants you to be happy. The problem seems to be that her idea of your happiness is different from your own."

Usagi nodded sharply. "And what gives her the right to decide that?"

"She has no right," Luna conceded. "But she can certainly have an opinion."

A vein on Usagi's forehead became more pronounced. "But she can't think that! She can't think that after everything we've gone through together, that Mamoru and I aren't--"

"Usagi, she was never even going to tell you," Luna reminded her. "She was telling Makoto about it. You happened to overhear."

"That doesn't mean that it doesn't affect me," Usagi insisted.

"No, but it does mean that you shouldn't think of it like Minako is somehow trying to sabotage you."

Usagi shook her head, biting her lip. "I just don't understand it. Minako of all people should be supportive of me. I don't understand why she can't see that we love each other and that we're meant to be together."

"What does her opinion matter?" Luna asked. "If that is true and it all works out for the best, it doesn't matter what anyone thought."

"But she shouldn't think that!" Usagi maintained.

Luna was becoming more and more convinced that the conversation was going in circles, and that left her with little choice except to get right to the point. Luna sighed and said, "Look, if you and the other girls want to continue your feud, fine. I don't care if you do nothing but argue with one another. But I don't want you to isolate yourselves."

Usagi shook her head before Luna had even come to her point. "I want nothing to do with her. I don't even want to be around her, I can't--"

"Get over it, Usagi!" Luna snapped, practically shouting. "You can't do this!"

"Yes, I can!" Usagi countered, looking every bit like the entitled princess she had once been.

"And what would you do if Minako were kidnapped?" Luna asked, completely fed up with her now. "If you and Makoto abandon her, she's vulnerable, and you might lose her!"

Luna expected this to be the turning point in the conversation. She expected Usagi to realize how ridiculous she had been all along. She and Minako might not make up immediately, but at least they would be near each other and able to be of help should anything go wrong. And it was a step in the right direction towards being reunited, and if they could take that first step, Luna could rest easy that everything would be all right.

But that was not what happened.

Usagi waited a moment, her features becoming grave. She didn't seem to go through any major thought process before she voiced her decision. In fact, Luna was nearly certain that she had not thought about it at all. It would make what she said easier for her to handle.

"I wouldn't care."

Luna had stared, disbelieving, as it seemed her entire world came shattering down. Then, before anything more could be said, Luna jumped out of the window and into the night. She didn't hear Usagi call after her, so she could only assume that she had done no such thing.

Luna jogged away from the Tsukino household. She was on her way to Minako's before she was aware of it to tell him what Usagi had said. Minako, of course, would not have to hear about it.

The truly sad thing about the situation was that Usagi refused to acknowledge the reason why she was being so cruel towards Minako. It wasn't that she didn't think Minako had any right to her opinion. No, it was far from that.

It was just that she was terrified that Minako was right.

-----

Petz, in a word, was pissed.

"This is ridiculous," she snapped at her superior, her gloved fists curled in a physical expression of how very hard she was trying to contain herself. Up to this point, Petz was certain that she had shown admirable restraint. Naturally, Rubeus probably did not agree. "You found Sailor Mercury much faster than this."

Rubeus rubbed his temple as if he had a headache. She found it patronizing, which of course only made her that much more annoyed. "Petz, I've told you. She was an easy catch. There are not that many girls in Tokyo with enough intelligence to have actually been Sailor Mercury. In fact, Mizuno Ami has only one female intellectual equivalent, and she was ruled out seeing as..." he trailed off, trying to find the best way to explain it. Finally he smirked, chuckling to himself. "Let's just say she has questionable morals."

Petz folded her arms across her chest, positioning herself so that she would not be tempted to kick him and find herself executed for treason. "And Sailor Jupiter has no distinguishing characteristics?"

"Aside from being freakishly tall?" Rubeus drawled. "No."

"That should be enough," Petz snapped.

Any amusement Rubeus had given himself vanished in an instant. Lines formed around his cruel mouth, and his eyes took on a quality entirely too close to fire for any sane man's liking. "It isn't," he said with finality, hoping that would be the end of it.

Of course, Petz was never someone who could pick up on such subtleties when she was in a temper. In her mind, Rubeus looked no different than when they had started this conversation, and she had been given no indication that she should leave. If she had seen that, she would have left, but she was quite literally blinded by rage. She would not be silent until she was good and ready.

She leaned forward, her gaze challenging his own but never actually rivaling it, and said, "I want my prey."

Rubeus was about to respond in a manner that might not necessarily have been verbal. Unfortunately, he caught sight of the same thing Petz saw – a flash of light off to their right. She turned, already infuriated with the interruption of one of her sisters or another member of the Black Moon Clan. But she felt like spitting bullets when she saw it was Karaberas.

"Reporting as promised, Master Rubeus," Karaberas said, her eyes lighting up in malicious glee when she saw her older sister glaring at her.

Petz heard Rubeus sigh, though she was too preoccupied to note how weary he sounded or the way his face drooped. She didn't know it, but that was always how he looked when he was alone in the same room as Karaberas and Petz. She had never seen it. She was always far too busy glaring at her sister. "Can I assume from your perkiness that you have located Sailor Venus?"

For a moment, Petz's heart stopped. Surely she could not have heard that right. She must have been going deaf or going mad or going dead, but there was no way in holy hell that Rubeus had actually said that and there was no way that it was true.

"Afraid not," Karaberas said, practically giggling. "Another lead gone cold it seems."

Petz's jaw cracked. She briefly wondered if Karaberas's head would make a similar noise should she decide to rip it off. "Another lead?"

"Yes," Karaberas said in a lilting tone that was a bit too loud. "Master Rubeus has had me following... Oh, let me see. I think it's four girls now to see if they are Sailor Venus."

"Four!" Petz shouted, the pitch of her voice climbing an octave. The idea that Karaberas had been out hunting while Petz had been sitting about doing absolutely nothing but rage was past the point of upsetting. She whirled on Rubeus, quite certain that her eyes must have been like green fire springing from her sockets. Naturally, Rubeus didn't even blink at her, though she liked to tell herself that he merely didn't show his discomfort. "Is this true?"

Rubeus just shrugged at her. "Gymnasts."

Petz did not bother to respond to him. She was quite through in being angry with him, and she was more than happy to move on to her usual target. She turned and scowled at Karaberas. Her younger sister sauntered up to Petz and said, "Why do you seem so surprised, Petz? Hasn't Rubeus had you following around brunettes with anger issues all day?" She waited a moment before gasping, pretending to clutch at pearls she would never have. "He hasn't! Oh, you don't mean to say that he doesn't have any leads, do you?"

Petz didn't know how to answer that. She knew that by remaining silent, she would give her answer away as clearly as she would have if she shouted it. Unfortunately, she couldn't very well lie with Rubeus standing several feet away from them. He would either correct her now or later, but there was certainly no disguising the truth from Karaberas. Besides, she had known the answer before she'd ever arrived. There was simply nothing that Petz could do.

"Oh, isn't that just awful," Karaberas said, her voice dripping with exaggerated sympathy. She reached forward and dared to pat Petz on the shoulder. She moved away quickly before Petz could exact any physical punishment. "Well, have fun doing nothing then, darling." Karaberas grinned, her teeth flashing as she moved. "Love to stay and chat, but there's just so much that I have to do. Bye now."

And with that she was gone.

Petz remained looking at the place where she had stood for a moment. It took her several seconds to realize that it had not been a terrible nightmare, and another few moments to clue into the fact that Karaberas had left. Petz was not the sort of person to suffer in silence, and that meant that someone was going to hear about her fury whether they liked it or not, and she was in no mood to go seek Beruche or Cooan out.

So if Rubeus wanted a migraine, Petz was going to give him the worst one any man had ever had to endure.

-----

It had been a long night for Makoto, and she was certain that it was going to be a long day as well. That was how it always seemed in the past when she had been subjected to an unfortunate case of insomnia. Still, she could remember feeling this awful only once before in her short life.

The aftermath of loss, Makoto decided, was the worst thing a person could experience. She had been too young to realize it when she lost her parents, but Makoto now knew that recovering from their death had been far worse than finding out about it in the first place.

Makoto sighed, not bothering to hide the depths behind the gesture for once. She had nothing to hide from passers by. Surely they all knew by now what she had witnessed, and they wouldn't so much as blink.

That was the one and only bright side in the situation, and she was sickened to think of it that way.

"Good morning," a familiar voice said quietly from off to her right.

Makoto blinked several times before turning to look at the blonde wearing a different uniform than the other girls who went to her school. She straightened, out of a kind of defensive surprise, remembering the confrontation the day before. Her voice was quiet when she answered. "Minako."

Only then did the other girl look up, her light eyes darker than Makoto remembered seeing them before. They were also rimmed with red, giving Makoto no room for interpretation as to how her night had been spent. "Did you sleep?"

Makoto swallowed, her eyes failing to make constant contact with her friend's. "No."

Minako nodded. "Good," she said.

"Good?" Makoto repeated, surprised. Her eyes narrowed, her temper starting to lash out even though she knew it would have been better to keep herself in check. "What do you mean--"

"Forgive me," Minako interrupted smoothly. "I'm bitter."

Makoto suspected she knew what this was about, but that did nothing to change her reaction. "Why?"

Minako inhaled, her shoulders rising up so that they were on level with her chin. She shut her eyes, emphasizing just how swollen they were, and said, "Why didn't you stand up for me yesterday?"

Makoto clenched her jaw, her suspicions confirmed. This would have been the perfect time to meet Minako's eyes and not waver, but she still couldn't bring herself to do it. "Are we really going to discuss this now?"

"When else?" Minako asked. "I know it might not be appropriate. I know Usagi's more fragile than ever and that Rei and Ami are gone." Her voice broke on the last syllable, and she had to take a moment to regain her composure. "But I have to ask you now because if I don't, I'll never work up the nerve again. Why didn't you stand up for me?"

Makoto started to chew on the inside of her lip. "Because I thought you were wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Minako asked. "About Usagi and Mamoru? Is that why you let her say all of those things?"

"Yes," Makoto said, struggling to keep her voice hardened.

Minako shook her head. "That isn't like you. Even if you thought I was being an idiot, you still wouldn't have let one friend attack another. It was out of character, and you know it. So tell me why you did it."

Makoto took a deep breath, willing herself not to get angry. It would do no good to have a public argument with Minako, especially not when there were certain subjects that could not be discussed in mixed company. "Usagi needs someone by her side right now," Makoto explained as calmly as she could. "She might have Luna, but a cat can't give you a hug when you need it. So I have to stay on her good side. If she pushes me away, she'd be all alone. There's no telling what she might do then."

Minako nodded sharply, as if conceding that point, but Makoto knew better than to think the subject was dropped. Minako took a step forward, closing the small gap between them so that they were nearly nose to nose. It gave them an unbendable privacy even as they were surrounded by other students on their way to school who seemed too busy discussing them to give them a second glance.

"You just don't want to damage her," Minako accused, as if this were a bad thing.

Makoto shifted her weight in an attempt to remind Minako of her superior height. The other girl either failed to notice or failed to let it affect her. "So what?"

"You can't treat her like glass," Minako said, exasperated. "That's why she ran away from us in the first place. That's why Serenity left the palace and met Endymion. That's why we all died."

"And you would hate it if she found reason to go Mamoru, wouldn't you?" Makoto said. "Just because you think he doesn't love her."

Minako's cheeks flushed. "Why do you assume I'm wrong?"

"Why don't you?" Makoto countered. "Nothing is absolute."

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean that I ignore my instincts altogether," Minako insisted. "I am afraid for her."

"So am I," Makoto reminded her. "That's why I'm so careful in the first place."

Minako stopped suddenly, and her veneer so full of righteous indignation slipped away like rain off of a windshield. It was enough to make Makoto take a step back, nearly backing into an upperclassman. She stared at Minako, amazed at how the blonde could continue to shock her, and listened as she said, "And people can't be careful around me?"

Makoto closed her eyes, unwilling to watch another friend break. "Minako, don't."

"I'm not saying that I'm jealous," Minako continued. "And I'm not saying that Usagi doesn't deserve the attention. She does, and if she would let me give it to her, I would... But why do you have to treat one friend better than another? Why can't we both be comforted?"

Makoto thought about her friend's words for a moment, trying to figure out how to best respond to that. It came to her far more quickly than she thought it would, forming in her mind and her mouth as if it were a rote speech she had been practicing for decades. It was then and only then that Makoto was able to meet Minako's eyes without fear or uncertainty.

"Because no one is comforting me either."

Minako blinked and covered her mouth with her hand, finally realizing her error. She was able to see the pain in Makoto's eyes so clearly that it made hers multiply as well. She was full of apologies and sympathy in response, reaching forward to lay an arm on Makoto's shoulder.

But Usagi arrived in a daze, completely unaware of anyone's presence unless they made physical contact with her. So Makoto went to give Usagi a shoulder rather than take one for herself. She led the smaller girl into the schoolyard, only looking over her shoulder just before she walked in the door. She caught nothing but a flash of gold as Minako sped away from the scene, but Makoto did not have to guess at how she must have been feeling.

Abandoned.

And Makoto had been the one to do it.

"Are you coming?" Usagi asked softly, sounding very much like a lost lamb separated from the flock.

"Yes," Makoto said without hesitation.

-----

"That bitch," Rei muttered under her breath, leaving no room for argument.

Rei wasn't normally a person who threw about such terms lightly, but in this case, she didn't see the situation as being light at all. In fact, she saw it as being very grave indeed.

Ami winced, and while Rei would have liked to think it was out of some sense of propriety about her language, she knew that it was wishful thinking.

"I can't believe she did this to you," Rei said, smoothing Ami's hair away from her forehead. "She didn't even give you a chance to transform. She--"

"I had a chance," Ami murmured, her eyelashes fanned against her frighteningly pale cheek. "I didn't take it. I was--"

Rei shook her head, interrupting, "She attacked you out in the open. Of course you weren't going to transform."

Ami smiled wryly, saying, "That might have been the point, Rei."

Rei glared and fidgeted, embarrassed that Ami wasn't feeling indignant right along with her. "It doesn't make it right. She knew who you were, and she probably knew that you wouldn't recover as quickly if you were hit when you weren't transformed. It's... It's dishonorable. And wrong." Rei paused, trying to find the right word to properly express it. She decided that it was best to stick with simple terms. "And she's still a bitch."

Ami sighed, making the deep creases in her forehead become even more pronounced. "Whatever you say, Rei."

Rei looked down at her friend, noting all of the physical signs of pain and burning it into her memory. She wanted to have a picture of Ami's state in her mind. That way, once she had managed to fight her way out of the cell and rend the collar from her neck, she would be able to continue fighting her captors no matter how tired she became. The memory of how much Ami's whole body ached and how bravely she had faced the ordeal in order to try and spare Rei would be enough to keep her going. It was more than enough.

"How much does it hurt?" Rei asked gently, though anyone would have been able to note the rough edge in her voice.

Ami pondered the question for a moment. "I can manage," she said, her chest rising and falling a bit faster than Rei thought was normal.

Rei closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I should be able to do more."

"You're doing all you can," Ami soothed, and Rei was furious that Ami was sweet enough to comfort her when she was the one in pain.

"I can't do much," Rei said irritably. "I'm... helpless."

"We're captured," Ami reminded her. "That's how we're meant to be."

Rei sighed, wrapping her arms around her legs as she drew her knees up to her chest. "I though we were supposed to be coming up with a brilliant plan of escape that would leave our enemies baffled for as long as they lived."

Ami shrugged as best as she could while she was lying on the floor. "Perhaps that's on tomorrow's agenda."

Rei chuckled sadly, laying her cheek on her kneecaps. The pair fell into silence for a moment, though it wouldn't last very long as Rei always grew nervous when Ami was quiet for too long. She kept her eye on her wounded companion, looking for any other injuries that had been overlooked.

What she saw was a blue ring around her wrist.

"What's this?" Rei asked, moving forward to get a better look at it. She had assumed it was a bruise at first, but then she saw that it wasn't an injury at all. It was a wristwatch with a very familiar symbol on it.

For the first time in several hours, Ami opened her eyes to see what Rei was talking about. She blinked three times in succession and sat up with some difficulty. She stared at the watch in shock, shaking her head. "I can't believe they left it... I can't believe I didn't know they left it."

"You do have a nasty head wound," Rei pointed out, glancing up at the bandages that wound Ami's brow. "What is that?"

"A communicator," Ami said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Rei's eyes went impossibly wide. "What?"

"Luna and Artemis made new ones," Ami explained. "They finished them right after you..." she trailed off as if Rei's abduction were some social disease that should not be discussed in public.

Rei took Ami's arm in her excitement, examining the communicator. "I never would have known it was anything but a watch unless you told me. But why did they leave it?"

Ami thought about it for a second before answering. "It must have been because you didn't have one," she surmised. "They were only looking for things similar to what you had been found with. They took my henshin stick and my computer, which looked a bit like the old communicators. They must have assumed that it served a dual purpose."

Rei was beginning to get excited. "Do you think that maybe we could reach the others?"

Ami looked up at her, her cheeks beginning to turn pink with life. "It's possible. We don't know where we are, but there's a chance we might be able to reach them."

"Could they find us?" Rei asked, knowing that the best shot of doing that would have been to use Ami's computer, which of course was no longer available to their friends.

"I don't know," Ami confessed. "But it's possible that Artemis or Luna might be able to come up with something."

Rei reached forward and undid the clasp with shaking hands, her heart threatening to leap out of her chest. She finally managed it and held the blue plastic in her hand as if it were the most sacred artifact any man had ever died for. "Whatever the case, it's our only hope."

-----

After venting her frustrations about Karaberas to Rubeus for as long as he allowed and then dreaming about kicking Karaberas in all kinds of ways and places, Petz felt no better. This left her with no other choice than to track down one of her other sisters and make them feel as miserable as she did. Lucky for her, she found both of them at the same time. It almost made her feel better.

"Can you believe the nerve of that woman?" Petz asked them, pounding her fist against Karaberas's looking glass, hoping it would break. It didn't, and it was hard to resist the temptation to try again.

Beruche sighed like a mother quite sick of listening to her four-year-old ramble about the unfairness of being denied a puppy. "Petz, that's just her way. You know that she wouldn't bother you as much if you didn't get so riled."

Petz shook her head, knowing that Beruche would never understand her predicament. "She does it specifically to undermine me."

Cooan rolled her eyes, reminding Petz once again of her youth. "Maybe if you didn't think of it like that, she'd leave you alone."

Petz turned to look at the younger girl, watching with satisfaction as she guarded her arms, perhaps waiting for Petz to teleport next to her and twist her wounds. She wouldn't have. Not for that.

Unless it had been Karaberas.

The thought of her auburn-haired sister made Petz kick the frame this time. Once again nothing happened, and she stalked off to begin pacing. Perhaps that would ease her temper. "The nerve of her. Rubbing it in my face that she's been chasing down leads all day while I've been pacing."

Beruche looked as if she were going to sigh again, but she thought better of it when Petz gave her a hard look. "Unfortunately, Karaberas does have a point. Sailor Venus was simply able to... distinguish herself more than Sailor Jupiter ever did."

Cooan laughed aloud, amused by Beruche's delicate phrasing. "Why not just come out with it? She was a show-off, and she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut."

Beruche ignored her. "Yes, Sailor Jupiter was the strongest and exceptionally tall, but other than that, Master Rubeus doesn't have much to go on."

"It should be more than enough," Petz snarled, her lip curling. She turned to Cooan and said, "How did Rubeus track down Sailor Mars so quickly?"

Cooan blinked, thinking. "Well, he didn't. It took them quite awhile to locate her."

Beruche shook her head. "As I understand it, what took time was figuring out how to go about finding her in the first place. Once that was done, I'd imagine Mars was the easiest to locate."

"Why?" Petz asked testily. "Because Rubeus thought she was pretty?"

The comment hurt Cooan, and Petz was glad of it. Beruche did not approve of the insult for whatever reason, pursing her lips and glaring at her older sister. She moved closer to Cooan as she tried to hide the fact that her lower lip was trembling. "Because she's a mystic. There aren't many girls in this time that were known for any talent for clairvoyance, let alone many girls who were actually telling the truth."

Petz scoffed. "Smoke and mirrors and fortune-telling they can find. But a girl with strength enough to best a man is impossible to locate."

"People don't just go around throwing people for the fun of it," Cooan snapped, still smarting.

"She would," Petz countered, scowling at both of her sisters in turn.

Neither of them said anything in response for they knew it was true.

Fed up with talking at them and not feeling any better about her predicament, Petz turned on her heel, stalking away from the scene. She glanced over her shoulder before either one of them could ask where she was going, but she could tell by their looks that they hadn't even considered it. She clenched her fist and said, "I'm going to check on the prisoners."

Beruche sniffed. "That's one thing I'll be glad to miss."

Petz arched an eyebrow, unsure of her meaning.

"You and Sailor Mars screaming at each other," Beruche elaborated, glancing over at Cooan to see a smile spread over her reddening face. "Try not to knock the ship out of orbit, would you?"

Petz merely extended her middle finger and left.

-----

"It's no use," Rei said miserably. "We must be out of range."

Ami had no idea how long they had been trying to get her communicator to work. She normally had a fair idea of how much time was passing when working on projects of any kind, but considering how dizzy she was, she no longer trusted her internal clock. All she knew was that it felt like it was taking far too long, and her heart was pounding faster and faster with each passing moment. She and Rei were continually looking up to see if anyone was coming, not that it would do them any good. Their captors had a tendency to teleport directly to them. If they were going to be caught, they would have no warning.

Ami tugged at the collar around her neck, swallowing.

"We can't give up now," Ami insisted. "We have to get word to them."

"And what will we tell them?" Rei asked, her eyes narrowed. "That we don't know where we are, we don't know what they want, but we are pretty sure that they wouldn't mind killing us if they got the chance?"

Ami shook her head, trying her best to keep her gaze and her voice as close to steel as possible. The more sure she sounded, the better the chance that it would have an effect on Rei. "We can tell them they're from the future. And we can tell them that we're alive. We can give them hope." She paused, watching as the information sunk in for Rei. She swallowed again, becoming more and more aware of how thirtsy and how tired she was. "It's something."

Though Rei didn't say it, she clearly agreed. She squared her shoulders and set her jaw as if she were preparing to go to her death. Ami wondered if that's what she had done before she walked off to meet the final DD Girls and her mortality.

"Try Makoto," Rei suggested helpfully. "We haven't tried her in a while."

The two of them had been attempting to reach all three of the girls collectively or separately for some time now. They had been failing on all fronts, which was why Ami couldn't blame Rei for her negativity. Ami took a deep breath and pressed the green button for what felt like the tenth time.

She waited for the screen to flicker and the button to light up, and when that happened, she waited for them to go dark again. It would signify that they call had not gone through and that they had failed, again. As much as she had told Rei to hope, it was what she expected.

The screen flickered in and out for several seconds.

It did not go out.

"Oh, God," Rei whispered, leaning forward in earnest. Ami felt like her heart was about to leap out of her mouth to get some relief and looked up through the bars of their cell to see if anyone was coming.

She looked back down at the screen and watched as it continued to flicker.

"Please," Ami ordered softly, willing the small contraption to work as much as she could. "Please work, please work, please, _please work_."

A moment later the screen filled with static and they heard what might have been a voice.

Against her better judgment, Ami leapt to her feet. Rei was beside her in seconds, wrapping her arms around Ami's shoulders in anticipation of her fall. She also gripped Ami's wrist tighter than a shackle and had to struggle to keep from shouting. "Makoto?" Rei asked desperately. "Makoto, please say you can hear us."

There was some garbled speech, prompting Rei to reach out and smack the communicator. Ami almost snapped at her, but she was surprised to find that it worked. "--mi? Rei? Is that you?"

"Yes," Ami said, trembling from head to foot. "It's us. Can you understand us?"

Makoto either didn't hear the question or she ignored it entirely. "Are you guys all right? Where are you? How did you--"

"We're fine," Rei answered, eyeing Ami's bandages guiltily and looking relieved that Makoto couldn't see them any better than they could see her (which was to say, not at all). "We don't know where we are."

"What?" Makoto said loudly, meaning that she couldn't hear over the static.

Rei smacked the communicator again, her nostrils flaring. Ami answered when she thought that there was a chance she could be heard. "We have no idea where we are."

There was a slight pause, as if Makoto were processing the information or trying to figure out what had been said. Finally, she answered, "We have to do something."

Ami would have smiled ruefully and thought of how typical that reaction was from Makoto had she not been seriously regretting her haste in standing. "We'll be all right," Ami insisted, not bothering to tell Makoto her idea about Luna and Artemis being able to figure out something. They would figure it out on their own, and besides, there wasn't time.

Sensing the need to be quick, Rei said, "Listen, Makoto. We have to tell you about the enemy."

"What?" Makoto responded immediately, and Ami was relieved that she could tell that it was a question asked in earnestness not confusion.

"They're from the future," Rei said gravely.

They heard Makoto swear and say something like she hadn't caught that.

"They're from the future!" Ami and Rei shouted in unison, forgetting themselves.

Silence came from the other side of the communicator for what felt like forever. Ami was about to start crying in frustration when Makoto spoke again and she knew that they had been heard.

"Shit."

Rei opened her mouth to speak, but another voice entirely filled Ami's ears. It was not a voice she was happy to hear.

"What the hell are you two doing? What is that!"

Ami and Rei looked up in terror to see one of their captors standing just a few feet away from them. She looked as if she had been in a bad mood from the moment she had been born and life had not seen fit to do anything but add on to it as a punishment to all who knew her. She reached through the bars, which had no effect on her and grabbed hold of the communicator. Stupidly, at least in Ami's opinion, Rei held on to the watch like it was her own child. Unfortunately, Petz was stronger than both of them put together and pulled them forward with a hard yank. They crashed against the bars, Ami taking the brunt of the punishment given their position, and cried out in agony when the collars set off.

They yelled and writhed as Petz examined the watch and stared at it when it began to speak to her in an unmechanized voice. "Ami? Rei? What's going on? What's happening?"

Ami might have been in a haze of shock and pain, but she was lucid enough to be facing Petz for the next few moments. She would not know later whether or not that had been a good idea for it haunted her for the rest of her life.

Petz stared at the watch first in puzzlement, and then her face began to change. Ami recognized it as an epiphany, but it wasn't any sort of realization she would have ever cared to see. Her lips twisted into a smile that made Ami shiver, white teeth gleaming from between her lips so dark they were nearly black. Her eyes first widened, and then narrowed, and Ami could have sworn that the effect was like storm clouds had gathered in her irises and released bolts of lightning in their fury. Her posture changed and she seemed all the more deadly, though Ami would have readily admitted that she thought Petz was the most frightening and most dangerous of the four Sisters.

"Jupiter," she hissed, making tears spring to Ami's eyes. She looked down at them like cockroaches overturned on varnished wood floors and said, "That was clever, sneaking a communication device past us like that."

"It wasn't clever," Rei hissed, her pride unaffected by the punishment she had been dealt. Ami longed to tell her to be quiet, but she was too weak and too frightened. "It was just stupid of you not to notice."

Petz snorted and snapped her fingers, setting off Rei's collar again. To her credit, Rei did not scream.

"I'll be back to deal with you brats later," Petz informed them coldly. "I'm going to figure out where Jupiter is, and then I'm going to take her." She laughed as their faces fell in dismay (or at least Ami's fell. Knowing Rei, she had merely glared and contemplated spitting at the woman's feet). "Don't look so glum. Look at it this way. You'll have a new friend to share in your pain."

"Leave her alone," Ami said softly, unaware she was speaking until she had gotten the whole sentence out. "Please, don't hurt her."

Petz just stared for a minute and then left without another word.

Ami waited until she was certain that Petz was gone before she started crying. She may not have been as demonstrative as Rei, but she had her own amount of pride, and she was not about to give Petz that much satisfaction. She shed tears that seemed to come straight from her heart, weeping painfully and fighting to catch her breath. She shuddered and moaned in pain, and she only cried harder when Rei finally managed to drag herself beside Ami. The other girl wound her arms around Ami's shaking body as tightly as she could (which was not that tight considering what she had just gone through, but her grip was strong enough to surprise Ami). Ami clutched Rei's hands and let out an extra sob when she felt a hot tear land on her shoulder.

They lay there for some time, mourning their freedom and their wisdom, both of which seemed to have been taken from them.

-----

"I heard from them," Makoto said breathlessly.

Makoto had received the call just after school let out while staring up at the wrecked roof that was still sealed off until the police were done with it. She had seen a detective up there, pacing the length of the rooftop and scratching his head, no doubt thinking that it was useless for him to investigate a hopeless case even when Mizuno Ami's mother and Hino Rei's father were important members of society.

She had been about to punch a tree when her computer beeped and Ami and Rei's voices came over the line, surprising Makoto enough to think that they may as well have been ghosts.

As soon as she had lost the connection amidst screams of pain and a strange woman's voice, Makoto had seen little else to do except run away from the school and call Usagi (who had left school early when her silence had disturbed Haruna-sensei too much) and Minako. They had answered immediately, obviously terrified that Makoto was in the middle of being attacked.

Makoto had spoken before they had a chance to. "I heard from them."

"Oh, my God," Usagi breathed, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Where are they?" Minako asked instantly. Makoto could tell that she was already reaching into her pocket to pull out her henshin pen and go get them back. She was certain because she had done the same thing.

"They don't know," Makoto said, her voice tight and showing her frustration. She was panting at the rate she was running, and she did pause to consider that it was rather silly to be running when she had nowhere to be running to. Still, she didn't slow down, even when her ribs, which had not yet been given a chance to heal, began to ache. "I didn't get to talk to them for very long."

"Are they all right?" Usagi asked worriedly, her eyes wide and clearly brimming with tears. "Please tell me that they're all right."

Makoto licked her lips and swallowed, remembering exactly how the screams had sounded and the amount of venom that had been in the woman's voice. She decided that it was best to ignore the question. Usagi didn't pick up on the side-step, but Minako did. She went paler than Makoto thought possible.

"I only heard one thing," Makoto said, embellishing the truth slightly but without shame. "They know about the enemy."

That gave both Minako and Usagi hope, and Makoto was glad to see it. "Who are they?" they asked in unison.

"They're from the future," Makoto repeated, shuddering a bit at the thought.

Minako illustrated just how literally the phrase "jaw drop" could be taken while Usagi just stared at the screen in complete bewilderment. Neither one of them spoke for a moment, giving Makoto time to continue. "They didn't say how far. But it can't be more than a few decades if--"

"Actually," a vaguely familiar voice called from overhead, "It's more like a little over a millennium. But I've never been one to fuss over details."

Makoto came to a grinding halt, glaring the second before she looked up. In a stroke of irony she didn't have time to appreciate, she noticed absolutely nothing about the woman save for her familiar voice and the black moon tattooed on her forehead.

The older woman returned her scowl with equal vigor and said, "I am so happy it's you."

"Likewise," Makoto snarled though she had absolutely no idea why.

"Makoto?" Usagi asked, nearly shouting. "What's happening?"

"Where are you?" Minako asked, finding that it was the more pressing question. They all knew what was happening.

Makoto told them brusquely and then shut the communicator without another word. She continued staring up at the other woman, who was standing casually on top of a telephone pole, barely able to contain her rage.

She laughed down at her, though Makoto could tell that she was not taking this lately. Makoto had seen youma look at her as if their greatest pleasure would be to tear her limb from limb. The Shitennou and the Aliens had given her some pretty hard stares in their time, but it was the looks the youma gave her that could make her afraid. They were simple creatures, and they did not veil their feelings at all like their leaders had. There was something pure about their hatred and their lust for blood that was unsettling. It reminded her of how inhuman they were and how they had no idea how to hesitate or to show mercy.

This woman had that exact same look, and Makoto did her best to ignore the fact that it scared her.

"My name is Petz," the woman said, feigning cordiality.

"I don't care," Makoto answered, finding there was no need to introduce herself. Petz was obviously well aware of who Makoto was even if she didn't know her name.

Petz shrugged. "Very well then."

Without warning, Petz flew off the top of the telephone pole, arms outrsteched. Makoto cried out as her fingers closed around her shoulders, and heard the sound of other people on the street screaming and fleeing the scene. In tyipcal fashion, the citizens of Tokyo had not noticed anything out of the ordinary until the proverbial explosion and then they fled rather than help an innocent bystander.

For a split-second, Makoto very much wanted to punch humanity in the face.

She didn't have the luxury of time to contemplate the nature of man's inhumanity to man as she flew backwards under Petz's power. She knew the area well enough to know that the alley they had gone into had a dead end comprised entirely of bricks. She had to think fast if she was going to keep her head from being smashed against it.

Makoto looked around in time to see the ladder from a fire escape off to her left. Desperately, she reached out and grabbed it, hissing as her wrists were strained in an attempt to stop her momentum. It was successful, and Makoto was able to use that same momentum to swing herself around, Petz still clutching at her and not entirely sure of what was happening yet. The soles of her flats were thin and her ankles sang out in pain when her feet came into contact with the side of the building, but she was going to have to ignore it. Then, pulling her right hand free of the ladder, Makoto drew back her arm and punched Petz harder than she had ever punched anyone in her life.

Petz shrieked as Makoto's fist came into harsh contact with her nose. She fell to the ground and stumbled back, swearing and spitting long enough to let Makoto collect herself. She landed as gracefully as her ankles would allow and transformed silently and without much fanfare, never once blinking as she stared down Petz. Moments later, it was Sailor Jupiter meeting Petz's furious gaze, tiny sparks crackling off her tiara and the edges of her uniform.

"You are going to pay for that," Petz warned, holding her bleeding nose.

"No," Jupiter hissed, stalking forward bravely. "You're the one that's going to pay for hurting my friends."

Petz yelled and jerked her nose, the sickening crackle of her bones snapping into place making Jupiter want to cringe. Still, it stopped the bleeding and freed Petz up from that distraction, making Jupiter file the trick away for future use if ever it was necessary.

Jupiter didn't give Petz much time to settle herself after fixing her break, coming around with her left arm for another punch. Petz caught it as easily as if Jupiter had called her in advance to let her know it was coming. Her fingers closed around Jupiter's fist and twisted hard enough to force her to her knees. Before Jupiter could even think about recovering, Petz spun around, swinging her left leg like a wrecking ball on the end of a chain. She connected with Jupiter's chin perfectly,  
sending the Senshi sprawling out onto the open sidewalk.

Jupiter was not surprised to see that even the usual spectators were absent from the proceedings. With the daughters of two prominent members of Tokyo society gone, everyone had the good sense to be afraid.

She leapt to her feet as Petz marched out of the alleyway. She was smarting in several places now, and Petz no longer seemed to be affected by the blow her nose had taken. Jupiter might have thought that this put her at a disadvantage, but she didn't give it much thought. All she could think about was how good it would feel to hit her again.

"Cooan and Beruche had mentioned that the lot of you were stupidly loyal to one another," Petz remarked, making Jupiter's blood boil. She'd never had much patience for enemies who liked to carry on conversations during a fight. She could tell that Petz was doing it just to make her angry, and that meant that she was probably of the same opinion.

"It's not stupid," Jupiter snapped. "And if I wanted to talk, I wouldn't have transformed."

Petz raised an eyebrow, but she couldn't do it perfectly so her other eyebrow lifted a bit as well. "So you're not going to beg me for mercy or ask me to let your friends go or some other nonsense."

"No," Jupiter said plainly. "I'd much rather kick your ass, thanks."

Petz smiled, as if approving, and then leapt forward with a yell, drawing her fist back.

Jupiter crouched down and leapt upwards, clearing Petz's height with room to spare. However, she had forgotten that her enemies could teleport as easily as they could blink. She was annoyed at how surprised she was when Petz vanished and reappeared at her side, backhanding her.

The blow made Jupiter twist in the air, reeling from the blow, but not so much that she didn't land on her feet. She looked up at Petz, who was now floating in mid-air so easily that Jupiter briefly thought that she had made glass appear beneath her feet. Hoping that levitating would mean that she couldn't teleport as quickly, Jupiter crossed her arms in an 'X' in front of her, knowing that an antenna was rising up from the gold of her tiara. Lightning crackled around her form as she curled up and then pushed all of her limbs out, shouting, "SUPREME THUNDER!"

Petz wasn't surprised by the move, but she also didn't move as quickly as she would have liked. A bolt clipped her knee, making Petz wince. It was something, but it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy Jupiter.

"Is that the way you want to play it, little girl?" Petz asked, making Jupiter's face flush. "So be it then." Before Jupiter knew what was happening, Petz had thrown what seemed like her own attack, but tripled and tainted by the darkness. Too shocked by the warped display of her own element, Jupiter didn't move. She took the whole of the blast head on.

But she managed to stay on her feet.

"Impressive," Petz remarked as she regarded Jupiter's reaction. The green-suited warrior was panting heavily and felt as if she had walked through fire and come out the other side just injured enough so that she was denied numbness. She opened her eyes slowly, looking at Petz between her arms that she had used to guard her face. Jupiter was quite certain now that she hated her, although she had probably felt that from the moment she had arrived and was only just now acknowledging it.

"Don't I do this in the future?" Jupiter snarled, doing her best to keep her back straight.

Petz was clearly irritated by the question, but Petz's version of being vexed looked a lot more like most people's definition of being in a rage. "Yes, but I assumed you would be weaker."

It was the word weak that did it. Even if Petz was acknowledging that Jupiter was stronger than she would have thought, the mere assumption that Jupiter was weak was enough to make her blood boil. It meant that Petz thought her future self was weak, and that meant that she still didn't think much of Jupiter now. She clenched her fists and felt something come over, terrifying but familiar. She recognized it easily enough.

It was exactly how she had felt before she called on the dragon.

"I am NOT weak," Jupiter ground out through clenched teeth, her voice low and threatening. "I have never been weak. And no matter how many times you hurt me or one of my friends, I am never going to be weak. I will always be stronger than you, and don't you ever forget it!"

Petz laughed, infuriated by her insolence but amused nonetheless. "Only the weak speak about how strong they are!"

And just as when she had called on the dragon, Jupiter was moving before she knew why she was moving and foreign words came to mind. But when she spoke them, it was like she had said the phrase a thousand and one times before, and she knew that she would say it even more than that in the future.

"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

This time, Petz became alarmed. She was frozen in her spot, making Jupiter certain that she had been completely unaware that Jupiter was capable of the attack. She had time only to scream before the disc of fire and light connected with her midsection, sending her careening across the street.

Jupiter looked at her opponent's crumpled body, proud to see that it was prone for at least the moment. With her enemy either dead or unconscious, Jupiter noticed that she couldn't stand anymore unless she wanted to faint. She dropped to one knee, clutching her injured ribs and inspecting her new wounds, wishing fiercely that Ami was there to look after her and that Rei was there to tell Usagi to stop crying once she saw Jupiter's injuries.

Jupiter wanted nothing more than to lay down in the street and take an impossibly long nap, but she knew that it was foolish to think that. She had to stay alert in case Petz got up before Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus could get there, for they would surely be arriving soon and the three of them put together should be able to get rid of Petz. But not before finding out where their friends were being kept of course.

Jupiter felt her spirits begin to lift. They were going to find out where Ami and Rei had been taken. They were going to be reunited, storming the castle (or whatever other structure the enemy had holed themselves up in), vanquishing the enemy, and saving the day. Then together they would make Mamoru remember everything that had happened if they had to torture him so that he and Usagi could get back together. And finally, everyone with the possible exception of Minako would be happy.

She nearly cracked a smile when she started suffocating.

Jupiter never heard anyone come up behind her just like she never heard the crack of the whip that was now wrapped tightly around her neck, and she would be furious with herself when she could think of anything other than the fact that she couldn't breathe. But she did hear someone giggle from behind her, and she was alert enough to realize that it wasn't Petz.

"Well, isn't it good fortune that I happened to be passing by?" someone taunted lightly, though Jupiter suspected that her captor was less concerned about mocking her than Petz, who was just beginning to stir. "If I hadn't, I might have lost a sister, and we all might have lost one of our quarry. Wouldn't that have been a shame?"

"She's MINE, Karaberas," Petz snarled, though Jupiter wasn't certain if she had heard the name correctly.

Karaberas scoffed, jerking Jupiter backwards. She pulled the struggling Senshi to her feet, and Jupiter was far too busy trying to breathe than to think of kicking the woman who held her hostage. "If you cared so much about her, maybe you shouldn't have let her get the better of you."

"I had her!" Petz screeched, dragging herself to her feet and sending spittle flying everywhere. "You can have Venus as soon as you figure out who she is."

Karaberas laughed again and said, "I'd much rather have two Senshi and deprive you of your glory, sister dear."

"Why!" Petz screamed, bringing up her hand as if she were trying to attack but was too weak to do so immediately.

Jupiter felt Karaberas shrug. "It's how I show my love."

Then, just as Jupiter's vision was beginning to dissolve into spots and patches of black, the ground beneath her feet disappeared and she was quite certain that she was no longer in Juuban district.

-----

Petz's attack nearly took out the building when she was able to launch it.

She was trembling with rage. She was madder than she had ever thought possible, and considering how well-acquainted she was with her own temper, it surprised her. She felt torn between crying, screaming, and killing, uncertain than any one of them on their own or combined would make her feel better.

Karaberas had done some horrible things to her before. She had pushed her out from under an awning protecting them from Nemesis's acid rain, burning and permanently disfiguring her hands. She had taken just about every man Petz had ever dared to fancy, though the one she had actually loved had left her of his own accord. She had tried her damnedest to best Petz in every sparring match they had ever had, usually cheating to get her way, and being praised for her innovation. She stole from her, she ruined her things, she defiled her reputation. She had done everything she could possibly do to make Petz's life miserable, a punishment for a crime Petz was unaware of having committed.

But this was the worst thing Karaberas had ever done.

She heard the sound of feet coming up from behind her and girls shouting her opponent's name, but she didn't care. She didn't even look at them to tell them what had happened. She merely vanished from their presence, the sound of an anguished scream and a curse catching her ear just before she left.

She reappeared moments later where she knew Karaberas would be - just outside the cell door. Rubeus was already there, and Mars was already spitting bullets. Mercury was sitting on the floor, looking as though she wanted to reach out and grab Jupiter's hand to comfort her. Even Petz couldn't blame her for that. Karaberas had thrown her to the floor and was standing on her spine to keep her from moving. Petz sincerely doubted she would have twitched even without the added pressure.

Petz flushed scarlet as she realized that Karaberas was in the middle of recounting the experience to Rubeus, humiliating her as away to rub salt in her gaping wounds.

"And seeing Petz's complete incompetence in the situation, I had no choice but to intervene," Karaberas surmised, acting like a sympathetic girl trying to help her sister in her hour of need. Petz wanted to choke her. "What else could I have done? I couldn't just let this little freak go."

Petz was about to speak when Jupiter did a lot more than twitch. In a move so quick that Petz almost missed it, the wounded soldier reached around and grabbed the ankle that was not holding her in place. She twisted and before Karaberas knew what was happening, threw her off and crashing into the bars of her friends' cell.

For a second, Petz almost liked her.

But grudges ran deep, and she was always going to be her enemy. So Petz wasted no time rushing forward to take Jupiter on, going so far as to pushing Karaberas to the floor to get to her in time. Sailor Jupiter was on her feet by the time Petz reached her. She wound her arms around the girl's waist and hissed, "Stop it or he'll kill you."

Orders or not, Petz recognized the look in Rubeus's eye. And while Petz did not care for the lives of any of the Senshi and would have been more than happy to kill them, she did not want to have to go on trial for disobeying Prince Demando's orders.

Jupiter, of course, did not hesitate in her reaction and Petz knew she would have done the same if she had known the whole story. She bent over, nearly flipping Petz over her shoulders. When that didn't work, she pushed off the ground and propelled herself over backwards, kicking Rubeus in the face for good measure. He swore and stumbled backwards, and Petz had no doubt that Jupiter was going to regret that act for many days to come.

Petz had to let go of Jupiter unless she wanted her back broken. Jupiter wrenched away and swung her leg around at Karaberas, who had been moving to lasso the rogue Senshi with her whip again. Her heel dug into Karaberas's neck, sending blood spurting into the air. Karaberas shrieked and pulled away before any more damage could be done, tears hanging off those eyelashes she had always bragged about for being longer than anyone else's.

Beruche and Cooan had sensed the commotion from wherever they had been on the ship, and judging by how Beruche arrived a few seconds before Cooan, they had not been together. Upon seeing the commotion, Cooan stepped out of the way, knowing that she was of little use given the fact that her hands were about a week away from actually being useful. She looked furious about it.

Luckily, Beruche was not so subdued.

Jupiter charged at Beruche like a bull just let loose from the pen, but Beruche barely changed her expression. She stood absolutely still as Jupiter neared her, waiting until it was too late for the other girl to stop. Then she bent over, letting Jupiter run into her. Then Beruche stood up quickly, flipping her onto her back.

It knocked the wind out of her, but there was no doubt among any of them that she would not stay down long. Yearning to be useful, Cooan stepped forward and planted her foot on Jupiter's windpipe. Jupiter was clearly thinking about pulling the same move on Cooan that she had done to Karaberas and Petz started to tell her to attack and knock her out. But before either Petz or Jupiter could blink, Cooan had bent down and jerked Jupiter's head sharply so that she was looking directly at her caged friends.

"Do you see those collars they're wearing?" Cooan asked, sounding eeriely like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Jupiter didn't so much as nod, but it was clear that she could see them just fine.

Cooan held up her hand, her fingers poised to snap. "One snap of mine or any of my associates' fingers, and those collars put your friends in a kind of pain you can only imagine but will no doubt experience shortly. Mercury is wounded badly, and I'm not quite sure how much more of it she can take."

That more than anything else caused a reaction in Jupiter that could be read plainly on her face. She looked as if she had just been punched in the gut and told that her parents were dead at the same time. Petz wondered if she was going to cry and hoped that she would.

"I don't think you want that to happen," Cooan said in a low voice, glancing up to see everyone, including Petz, raise their hands in an imitation of Cooan's gesture. Cooan started a bit and quickly looked down at Jupiter again. Petz knew exactly who she had been looking at, and she knew better than to turn around to see it for herself.

Jupiter shook her head and whispered, "No. Don't hurt them."

"Then stop struggling," Beruche voiced, patting her hair as if she had done something to knock it out of place. "Stand down."

Sailor Jupiter tensed up one more time, as if she resented being told what she had already decided to do and wanted to disobey just to spite them. But then she relaxed and closed her eyes, almost like a chastised child. The other three sisters waited a moment before striding over to the defeated Senshi, but it wasn't very long.

While Beruche and Karaberas hauled Jupiter to her feet, keeping the girl's arms wrenched behind her back, Petz plucked the communicator off of Jupiter's wrist. In what was probably an attempt to regain Rubeus's favor after being labeled an incompetent, Petz waved it around for a moment and said, "Sailor Mercury had a communicator similar to this one." She produced it just to make her point. "I caught her and Sailor Mars using it to place a call to Jupiter in an attempt to get help. For whatever reason, Sailor Mars did not have a similar tool when we captured her, so we missed it when Mercury brought it on board."

She would have liked to look up at Rubeus to see if his opinion of her had changed or if he had any pride gleaming in his eyes. But though she tried, Petz could not move her gaze from just to the left of Rubeus to look at him head on. Even she, called fearless from the time of her birth, was scared to look at him.

Deciding not to wait for Rubeus to respond, she continued speaking. "I managed to trace the call and locate where it had been received and I was able track her from there. I believe we could do the same thing with Sailor Venus's and Sailor Moon's communicators and find them much--"

"Leave them alone!" Jupiter called out, though out of habit, they turned to Mars to tell her to be quiet. They recovered from that quickly and turned around to face Jupiter, who was positively seething. "Leave them out of this! You have the three of us. Isn't that enough?"

"No," Rubeus answered, and his voice made all of the women who knew him shudder. It was colder than death, but they all knew that it wouldn't take much prodding to get him to bellow like all of hell was bottled up inside of him. "It isn't enough." He began to reach forward to take the communicator's from Petz.

It was unbelievable to think of how desperate Jupiter must have been to protect her two friends to do what she did next. Rightfully guessing that Karaberas was the weaker (or at least stupider) of the pair that held her, she stomped down on the woman's boot hard. Karaberas shrieked in pain and jumped enough so that she freed the arm she held. She recovered quickly, but not quickly enough to stop Jupiter from sending a single bolt of lightning at hers and Mercury's communicators, destroying them instantly and mauling Petz's hands besides.

Petz did not cry out, however. Karaberas's cruel joke had numbed her hands long ago.

Rubeus stared down at their ruined chance for an easy resolution in absolute shock for exactly three seconds. It gave Petz and Cooan enough time to clear a path for him and for Karaberas to take Jupiter's arm again. Then he stalked forward, his face dark enough to make fear rush to Jupiter's eyes, though she did her best to conceal it. Without so much as drawing his arm back far enough to let her know what was coming, Rubeus punched her right in the face, knocking her out completely and sending her straight to the ground.

Mercury whimpered, but other than that, not a sound was made by the other two captives. Petz did not turn around to see that Mercury had clamped a hand around Mars's open mouth.

He stood there absolutely still, simply breathing for a moment. It was quick, his chest rising and falling at a rate that dying men did not always reach. Rubeus twitched on occasion or flexed as fingers as if itching to strike the fallen girl again, but other than that, he was like a statue. Petz was certain that he would spring to life at any moment and murder whoever was closest to him. After all, she had seen him do it before.

Beruche had possessed the good sense to move away from Rubeus the moment Jupiter was laid out. Karaberas, however, had never had any sense save to make Petz suffer, so she was frozen in her spot almost has thoroughly as Rubeus. When it finally occured to her to back away, Rubeus spotted the movement in an instant. He reached forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him and shouting over her scream.

"That is why you do not bring back prisoners conscious, Karaberas!" he bellowed, his hair surrounding his face like Hades's fire. "Because they can fight back! Because any one of us, including you, could have been killed for such an amateur's mistake!" She started to nod in agreement when he shook her again, knocking her hair out of its coif and twisting her bustier so that she looked damaged. "If I actually let you go out after Venus after this, you better make damn sure that she's unconscious when you have her! Do you understand me!"

Too frightened to speak, Karaberas merely nodded, tears now pouring down her cheeks.

Rubeus stared at Karaberas for a few more moments before pushing her away, her back making a painful thunk against the wall. Then without so much as another word, he bent down and grabbed Jupiter by her wrist. He paused long enough to clamp another collar around her neck and to collect her henshin stick when it appeared. That done, he literally dragged the girl over to the cell and threw her in as if she were a sack of garbage. She skidded on the floor, stopping only when she hit Mars's legs. Then her friends began to tend to her, knowing better than to ask for provisions of any kind until after Rubeus had done.

Though even after he left, they did not speak.

And no one else did for that matter. Cooan and Beruche were certain that Karaberas and Petz were going to have a shouting match unlike any they had had before, and neither was anxious to stick around to hear it. They left quickly, leaving the feuding sisters alone with their beaten enemies.

Petz thought about tearing Karaberas apart and spitting on the pieces as she had thought about doing since she had taken Jupiter in her stead. But when she considerd it, she realized she was no longer angry. She still hated Karaberas and she always would, but Rubeus had taken her revenge for her, chastising her where Karaberas had assumed she would be praised.

So, instead of getting into a fight either physical or verbal, Petz merely walked up to her sister. She took note of her ruined hair and messed clothes and smirked. When Karaberas looked up at her, eyes full of tears and fury, daring Petz to start something with her, Petz only kept grinning. Then, just when she saw that Karaberas was beginning to look uncertain, she said the worst thing she could think of.

"You'll never be anything more than a stupid whore," she told Karaberas in the most matter-of-fact tone she could conjure up. "Stop trying."

Then she turned and left Karaberas to weep or scream or kill herself from shame. For the moment, Petz didn't care which she choose.

She merely hoped for the latter.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I would just like to note that a small cameo, and I use that term loosely, was made by a future villain in this chapter. Can you guess who?

Also, you might recall the acid rain on Nemesis fic as being used in several fics, including "View from a Crowd," written by Meredith Bronwen Mallory. She is an author that I have read and do admire, but I would like to state for the record that I thought of Nemesis as having a harsh climate separately and before I read any fics containing that premise. But Meredith thought of it too and got to use it first.

Coming Soon - Part Seven: Ever Dimming


	7. Ever Dimming

Forgotten Forever  
Part Seven: Ever Dimming  
7/24  
by Kihin Ranno

Minako couldn't remember the last time she had been so thoroughly exhausted. She was weak in every understanding of the word. She had no idea when or if she was ever going to feel strong again.

She had run for ten solid minutes in hopes of coming to Makoto's rescue, only to find that she was once again too late to do anything. She and Sailor Moon had reached the scene at almost the same time, and neither one of them had been close enough to do anything but stare as Jupiter was taken away from them. They had been slack-jawed as the aftermath unfolded, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

After the shock subsided, they hadn't even looked at each other. They'd just started walking in opposite directions, where they would mourn their third loss in private. They would not turn to each other in comfort. Not even when there was no one else left.

She sat down, weary past her bones and into her blood. She leaned forward, burying her face into the palms or her hands. She breathed. It felt like it was the only thing she had control over any more, so she stayed focused. In and out. In and out. In and out again. But even as she tried to block everything out, one single thought would not be forced out.

Three down. Two to go.

Minako trembled and dug her nails into her scalp. There were so many things she should have done and had failed to do. She had failed Ami, Rei, and now Makoto. And Usagi had made it clear that she felt betrayed by Minako as well. She's screwed up. Bad. And there was no way to fix it.

She had never felt so low in all her life.

"It's going to be all right you know," a voice soothed beside her.

Minako didn't look up. She didn't have to. Only one person - well, cat - was willing to stick by her no matter what. "You don't know that," she said, her voice muffled by her fingers.

A soft paw rested on her leg. "Minako, it has to be all right."

"Why?" she asked, looking at him now. She was ready to launch into a screaming, crying argument. She was prepared to let him have it for daring to tell her that after everything that had happened, but she stopped. But she saw the look in his eyes, saw the tears he would not even allow himself to form, and she thought better of it. She softened and gathered Artemis into her arms, holding him like a child would hold a comforting stuffed toy.

Artemis endured Minako's too-tight squeezing without complaint, though he shifted uncomfortably when given the chance. She did not put him down for awhile, and he did not wait long to speak to her. "They're alive," he reminded her.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Minako asked. "People can only endure so much, but when you add our power... Artemis, they could be torturing them, my best friends, and I'm just... sitting here."

Artemis did not respond to that for a moment. She was glad that she could not see his face. "They want something from them, and somehow I doubt it's information. They want you, and for whatever reason, they want you intact. I doubt torturing would do them any good."

"Would that stop them?" Minako asked, remembering the hatred in Rei's captor's eyes and the screeching voices of the women who had taken Makoto. There had been loathing within them that unsettled Minako deeply. Somehow she thought that if they had been allowed to do it, she would be mourning three deaths instead.

She felt him nod into her neck. "Those women are organized. Someone is controlling their movements. And whoever that is must be keeping them in check."

Minako considered this for a moment. Whoever was their leader had to be fierce enough to control those women. They had to be stronger, better, and much more deadly than those women could ever hope to be. She shuddered and held Artemis closer, hoping he could chase away the terror that gripped her.

Artemis sighed. "We'll get them back," he assured her. "We will."

Hearing the certainty and the hope in his voice, Minako began to get a grip. She could not allow herself to be frightened of things she didn't even know existed. And she did not have the time to waste in emotional turmoil when she should have been thinking about a way to fix all of this. It wasn't her strong suit, but she was the only one capable of doing it now.

"How?" Minako asked, less petulant now. She set him down and started to force her mind to cooperate. "Even if we knew where they were, we're outnumbered."

Artemis's eyes darkened, wondering just how far Minako's understanding of the word "we" was extended. "Even if she has an issue with you--" he began with uncertainty.

"I know that she would never abandon the others," Minako interrupted, letting her eyelids droop. "That's part of the reason why I want to figure this out. Maybe if I can come up with a plan, Usagi..." she trailed off, unable or unwilling to complete the selfish thought.

Artemis hesitated before he spoke, and Minako was instantly sure that she was not going to like what he was about to say. "You know, you could always just tell her that you were wrong and that you're perfectly willing to forget the whole thing happened."

Minako frowned and shook her head. "No."

Artemis flicked his tail in frustration. "Why not? You were never planning on telling her in the first place. Why not take it back now?"

"Because it's out there," Minako explained with a sigh. "I can't go back on what I said. I could apologize, but I'm not certain she would ever be able to forgive and forget. If she's going to do it, she'll do it in her own time and without my help."

Artemis's tail fluffed out, a scare tactic Minako had always thought was quite comical. "That makes absolutely no sense."

Minako shrugged. "Well, what can you do?"

That seemed to signal the end of the conversation, and neither one of them was willing to try and force it to go any further. Then both Minako and Artemis to stare straight out in front of them at the Tsukino's home. It wasn't the best view they could have gotten, nor was it the most comfortable tree in existence, but it would do.

Minako had allowed three of her friends to be kidnapped because of distance. She was not going to let Usagi suffer the same fate.

-----

Usagi was scared.

On the one hand, she was terrified of what was happening to her friends. She knew that Rei and Makoto would not be model prisoners no matter how much Ami would struggle to make them behave as such. They would talk back, rant and rave, even try to fight if given the chance. She could not stop thinking of them doing something wrong and of the punishment for their mistake. The retribution was swift and varied, and it always ended in blood.

She was afraid of what they wanted with the three girls for. When Mamoru had been kidnapped by Beryl, he had reappeared as her enemy. He had tried to kill her and her friends, and he had tried to fetch the Ginzuishou for the Dark Kingdom's purposes. She didn't want to close her eyes, fearing that she would wake up with Makoto's hands around her throat or Ami holding her head underwater or Rei setting her body on fire. It had been hard enough fighting someone she cared about the first time. She did not think she would be able to survive it again.

And she was scared because she knew they must be scared. Snatched from their lives, cast into some dark dungeon without warning or explanation. She was scared that they weren't being fed or cared for. She was scared that they were dying slowly and that their captors weren't noticing. She was scared that she and Minako would not be able to help their friends because of their feud, and she was scared that it didn't make any difference. She was terrified of the thought that they were destined to fail.

But she was also afraid because she didn't want to join them.

Usagi was lying in bed, her back to the window, curled up in as tight a ball as she could manage. She was hiding under her covers, doubting that they would provide her any real protection but taking comfort in them anyway. She was trembling like a guilty man before the gallows, and she desperately wanted a hug from one Chiba Mamoru.

She felt a pang when she thought of him, as she always did. She had scarcely had time to think of him lately, save in connection with what had happened with Minako, but she was going to force herself to ignore that for the time being. She thought only of how it would feel when he finally opened his eyes - really opened his eyes - and remembered her. She thought of the moment when she was finally wrapped up in his arms as his lover. She was certain she would cry, unsure of whether he would cry as well. But she knew that it would be the happiest moment of her life. Waiting for it was what kept her going. He was her strength even though he knew nothing of their destiny.

Without that hope, Usagi knew that she would not have made it that far. She would not have been able to handle the new enemies' tactics. She would have lost her mind, and that would have been the last kindness Fate handed to her. She would not have been able to endure this suffering without the thought of how he did love her and that once he was aware of it, everything would be all right.

And that was why she could not forgive Minako for trying to ruin it.

Thinking of her blonde friend made Usagi remember what Luna had asked her. When she had asked how Usagi would react if she lost Minako just as she had lost the others. She was the only other Senshi left, and it certainly stood to reason that she was the next target if their enemy followed the pattern. Usagi had answered that she would not care. Minako was a traitor. Minako didn't want Usagi to be happy. Minako wanted to tear her and Mamoru apart for reasons that Usagi could not fathom and did not want to fathom.

When she thought of that, she thought of how Minako had been the only one successful in cheering Usagi up right after Mamoru had disappeared. She thought of the sorrow in the girl's eyes as she explained that he was no longer their ally or their friend. She thought of Minako's constant assurances that they would be able to turn Mamoru back. She had been so earnest. She had seemed so genuine. Usagi had been sure that Minako wanted her and Mamoru to get together if that was what made Usagi happy even while she was being denied her own love.

Had all of that really been a lie?

Usagi didn't want to think so, but what else could she think? It seemed to Usagi that Minako had done a complete about face. She insisted that Mamoru would not bring her happiness, as if she had any idea how to fulfill Usagi's dreams. She was clueless about everything, but she would not admit that. She acted like she knew better when she didn't. It was infuriating.

And it was terrifying.

"I want Mamoru," Usagi whispered fiercely, holding the Ginzuishou to her chest. "And I want Rei and Ami and Makoto. I want everything to be peaceful again. I want to be normal. Please, please I want to be normal."

She looked down at the brooch expectantly, but of course, nothing happened. With that last hope dashed, Usagi wrapped her arms around her knees and cried herself to sleep. She didn't know what else she could do.

-----

Karaberas was still sitting on the cool floor of the dungeon room long after her sisters and Master Rubeus had left her. It took her several minutes to realize that she was in shock and another relatively short length of time to remember that being in shock was a bad thing. It was only after that she felt calm enough to start shaking, and it took some more time before she was finally able to stop. When that subsided, Karaberas took comfort in something familiar.

Hatred.

Never had she been so humiliated in all of her life. Petz could not have conspired a better downfall for her sister if she had put years of effort into it. An unplanned series of events should not have had the effect that they had on her for Karaberas was far more used to plots and schemes. But she could not sit there and think of how impossible it was when it was clearly very possible. She did not have the time to waste to curse Petz and rage at Rubeus and spit at her sisters for standing idly by. She didn't even have the time to take revenge on Sailor Jupiter, for it was clear that she was to blame for all of this by refusing to cooperate.

Karaberas only had time to make herself presentable and then go out and find Sailor Venus. She had possessed a healthy amount of disgust and loathing for the woman before, but now Karaberas had more reason to go after her. She had to redeem herself in the eyes of her sisters and her superior. She had to drag Sailor Venus back just as she had been instructed, and she had to do it quickly. It was the only chance she had for not being a laughing stock, or worse, to avoid Rubeus's punishment.

Or worse still, to avoid Demando's punishment.

Karaberas shuddered before she had a chance to stop herself. It wasn't something that she could stop no matter how hard she tried. She had seen Demando's wrath firsthand, and even Rubeus had been unsettled by it. She was in no hurry to see it again, much less be the brunt of it. The first time had been personal enough.

Karaberas traced the outline of the mark on her brow by way of memorial. Then she set about to fixing her appearance. She put her hair back into its customary bun without a mirror and then straightened out her clothes. She then began to walk out of the room, deciding to walk around a bit before heading out. She was still nervous after her encounter with Rubeus, and she needed a few more minutes yet to completely collect herself.

"You're going after Venus, aren't you?"

Karaberas looked over her shoulder at the three captives. She was surprised to hear them speak although she had not forgotten they were in the room. She was even more surprised to see that Mercury was speaking to her. Beruche had nicknamed her the Little Mouse for a reason.

"The rumors are true," Karaberas taunted. "You are the smart one." She then turned to finish leaving for she had not time to spend baby-sitting future tyrants.

"Why are you doing this?" Mars asked, and Karaberas did not have to look to know what her eyes looked like. "We have done nothing."

"You'll do plenty," Karaberas reminded them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go capture your friend."

"But what do we do that's so horrible?" Mercury asked, disbelieving in the idea that her morals could be corrupted enough to spawn a revolution willing to go to any lengths to take them out.

This was enough to make Karaberas stay behind. They had all been instructed to keep the information they handed out to their captives to a minimum, but Karaberas did not think she would be able to hold her tongue on this subject. For one, she almost thought they had a right to know, and she was of the opinion that they had very few rights at all. She also wanted to see the looks on their faces when she told them, though there were details that even she would prevent herself from revealing.

"You exiled our families for standing against you," Karaberas said in a low voice. "My sister Petz was just a baby when you banished our parents to a dark, desolate planet for disagreeing with you. You tattooed us with these inverted moons so that everyone knew who we were if we dared to try to escape. And some people did. Like my father. He was stoned to death.

"You sent us away hoping we would die quietly. You never thought that we would come back to haunt you while there was still breath in our bodies. And now we're taking the planet back and getting rid of you once and for all."

There was silence for a moment and Karaberas thought that they were done. She once again started to leave them when Mars interrupted her again. She sounded like she was crying.

"So why not just kill us then?" she dared Karaberas. "You obviously want to."

Karaberas chuckled wryly. It was another fair question and one she was more than happy to answer. "The four Guardian Senshi are going to be used as leverage."

Mercury had the good sense to sound afraid. "Leverage for what?"

Karaberas thought of looking at them again, finding that it would have been quite dramatic to do and then vanish. But she did not, fearing that she would see their faces clearly and remember how much she desperately wanted them dead. Especially given the topic of conversation, Karaberas did not know if she could trust herself.

"Sailor Moon."

And then she really left, vanishing in the same moment that she pulled a list of five names from her chest. She had work to do, and it could not wait any longer.

-----

It was Friday, but Usagi did not greet it with the same amount of joy as she usually did. There was absolutely nothing for Usagi to look forward to. School did not seem nearly as much like a prison now that her friends were experiencing the reality first hand, and the promise of it ending for the week left her hollow.

Usagi rose from bed and went through the motions of getting ready. She showered, put up her hair, and dressed for school. She thought of staying home, and she was certain that her parents would not object to it, but there was no point. There was also no point in going to school, but the routine might bring some comfort.

Usagi was in no particular hurry. She had woken up before her alarm thanks to a fitful sleep full of plausible nightmares, so the morning lacked the usual frenzy. Her mother gave her a strange look when Usagi sat down at the kitchen table. Her father had already eaten and left, leaving the morning paper sitting haphazardly on top of his chair. It was because Usagi was not rushing and because she did not feel like forcing conversation over breakfast that she happened to look at the front page of the newspaper.

_UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT ATTACKED  
Another victim of the magical abductions?_

Usagi grabbed the newspaper, ignoring the hearty helping of pancakes her mother had loaded onto her plate. She saw the older woman exchange a fretful glance with Shingo, who reached down and held Luna in his lap. She saw all of this, but it barely registered. She was far too busy reading the article, which recounted how a girl had been dragged into an alley by a woman vaguely matching the descriptions given by witnesses at the other kidnappings. The victim was a mystery; all they knew was that she was a tall brunette. There was considerably more detail about her assailant, most of conflicting. The article went on and on as it drew parallels between this and the other kidnappings. Ami's and Rei's names appeared frequently.

Makoto's was nowhere to be found. And the journalist didn't even mention whether or not any effort was being made to find out who had been taken. All it said was that no one had been reported missing.

"I meant to get rid of that," Ikuko said lamely, knowing that it was far too late to undo the damage, but hoping that something could be done to help. She started to reach forward to take it away. "I can--"

"No," Usagi said softly, setting the newspaper down. She saw Ikuko's eyes widen. Usagi wondered it it was because of how tightly she was gripping the paper or if it was the look on her face.

No one knew that Makoto was missing. No one even seemed to care that a third girl had been kidnapped even though that was supposedly what the article was about. Everyone seemed far more concerned about Ami and Rei because their parents were rich and well-known. And this third girl was clearly of no importance. No one had reported her missing, so no one cared about her. Why should anyone else?

No one cared that Makoto was one of the nicest girls Usagi had ever been blessed to meet. No one cared that she was fiercely loyal and unbelievably brave. No one cared about how deeply she loved or how she never allowed countless disappointments get her down. No one cared that she loved to cook or that she was good with plants. No one cared that Makoto had been the first one to lay down her life at the D-point and that she had once told Usagi that she would have done it again in a heartbeat even if she knew that she wouldn't be reborn.

Not even Usagi had cared enough to report her missing. She hadn't thought about it. She had forgotten that Makoto didn't have any parents to know she was gone. It had been her fault that Makoto had been taken, and she hadn't even had the decency to acknowledge it.

She was horrible.

"I feel sick," Usagi whispered before leaping to her feet and running into the nearest bathroom. There was absolutely nothing in her stomach, so she sat in front of the toilet heaving up nothing. That was how she was able to hear her mother crying and Shingo try to soothe her and Luna meowing sympathetically the whole while.

Usagi wanted to reassure them, but she couldn't. She didn't have enough confidence in the future.

-----

It had taken a longer amount of time than Ami and Rei would have liked, but Makoto eventually came around. The moment the taller girl had opened her eyes and saw them there, all three of them had come together in a tangle of limbs, hair, and tears. None of them could think of ever having been more relieved to see another human being in their lives. They clung to each other for most of the night, sleeping fitfully and usually in shifts.

When morning finally came without breakfast, they felt calm enough to speak. Makoto glanced around at their surroundings in a mixture of awe and fear. Naturally, the latter outweighed the former. "So you still don't know where we are?"

Rei shook her head. "Cooan, the woman who captured me, said something about us being up somewhere. I don't know if that means we're on a mountain or in a tower or what."

Ami sighed. "If I had my computer I'd be able to tell."

"If you had your computer, we'd have gotten out of here by now," Rei reminded her bitterly.

Ami chose to ignore Rei's petulance in favor of looking over Makoto. To be honest, she was quite embarrassed that she hadn't done anything about her health previously. She had been too relieved that her friend was breathing and in one piece to care much about the state of her nose. Now that the tears were no longer clouding her vision, Ami wished that she had worried about it more. It didn't look like a nose was supposed to.

"Does it hurt?" Ami asked, gently pushing Makoto's hair out of the way. One of her knuckles brushed against the bruises on accident. Makoto instantly cried out and pulled away, tears springing to her eyes.

"Sorry!" Ami said hurriedly, ducking her head out of habit.

Rei frowned. "I suppose that answers that question."

"Let's put it this way," Makoto said, breathing deeply to try and ease away the pain. "It's distracting me from my ribs well enough."

Ami winced, remembering that the state of Makoto's health had been none too pleasant before any of this. Then again, her fingers were still bound tightly and Rei's ankle was currently swollen up to the size of a grapefruit. None of them had been physically or mentally prepared for this experience.

Makoto eyed Ami and Rei warily, looking as though she were about to tell them something that neither of them were going to like very much. She opened her mouth and said, "This isn't the first time that someone's broken my nose. And frankly, I can only think of one thing that's going to make it better in a hurry."

Catching on quickly, the blood in Ami's face disappeared. She turned away quickly, instructing Rei to do the same.

"Why? What's she going to--"

Rei was interrupted by the sound of Makoto's bones snapping back into place as she gave her nose a hard upward jerk. Rei turned away too late, her fingers covering her mouth in horror. She swallowed hard and said, "I really would have appreciated a more explicit warning."

Makoto laughed sheepishly. "Sorry."

"If you had bothered to wait, I could have made that experience far less gruesome."

The three girls looked up to see Beruche standing a few feet away from them, a tray of their food in her hands and a bag of medical supplies slung over her shoulder. She was smiling at them with some amusement and, as always, a fair amount of disdain.

Makoto was the first one to react. She tried to get to her feet, but she quickly realized that she wasn't strong enough to do that. So she had to settle with glaring up at Beruche on her knees, her lip curled and both of her fists trembling. "Why would I accept any help from you?"

Beruche arched an eyebrow, chuckling quietly. "Because I'm afraid you'll find that I'm the most sympathetic of the bunch."

Rei glanced over to Makoto and nodded, confirming the idea. "I don't like it either, but she's the only one who bothers to feed us."

"Or dress your wounds," Beruche added with some amount of importance. She looked at all three of them, but no one missed the obvious emphasis on the newest arrival. "Now then, you girls have a choice. Either you can let me in without trying anything stupid and remain unharmed, or you do something stupid, I set off those collars, and you get no food and no medical attention. Your choice."

Makoto was still all for doing something potentially stupid, or at least that's what could be assumed by the fact that she refused to relax her position. Finally, Ami reached out and laid a hand on Makoto's elbow. It seemed to have a calming effect on the girl. "It's all right. She won't hurt us. She isn't like Petz or Cooan."

"Or Sister Number Four apparently," Rei muttered bitterly.

Beruche opened the door to their cell and entered with ease. She was pleased to see that none of the captives made a move, too tired and too hungry to try and stage an escape. She set down their breakfast, which was the same as every other meal they were given - rice and water. She looked up at Rei, her lips pursed. "I take it you've had the pleasure of conversing with Karaberas then?"

"You could say that," Rei answered, eyeing the food greedily.

Beruche caught the look but said nothing about it. "Karaberas is a fool. She's desperate to prove herself to Master Rubeus and to surpass Petz. It isn't a good combination for either of our sides."

"Do you think she'll hurt Venus?" Ami asked quietly, betraying her concern.

Beruche shrugged coolly. "I can't predict her behavior. All I can assume is that after her mistake with Jupiter, she'll do whatever it takes to regain favor in Master Rubeus's eyes. That means she won't kill her, but I don't know how much restraint Karaberas will show, all things considered."

Ami began to look ill and turned away from Beruche.

She moved over to Makoto and took a closer look at her face. She shook her head and said, "You waited too long to set it back into place. It'll be probably crooked for the rest of your life."

Makoto shrugged, but both Ami and Rei noticed the flash in the girl's eyes at the veiled insult. Still, she said nothing, deciding that it was safer to remain quiet given their current circumstances. "It was crooked before."

"I'd never noticed," Ami said, trying to be helpful, still pale from Beruche's news on her sister.

Makoto gave her a quick smile but said nothing more.

Beruche got to her feet and fumbled around in her bag. "Since you saw fit to take care of most of your wounds yourselves, I don't have much more to do. But Cooan's arms are coming along better than expected and we'll no doubt be home soon. I see no harm in giving this to you." She tossed a jar of salve over to Rei, who caught it with some difficulty. Her hands were shaking.

"What is it?" she asked, turning the jar over in her hands.

"It's a cure-all stolen from Mercury's labs when--" Beruche cut herself off, obviously censoring some information from them. The three girls knew better than to try and press her for anything more. "Rub it on your wounds several times a day and it should speed up the process. It's more effective on flesh wounds like Cooan's burns, but it should be of some help."

"Showing mercy to the enemy, Beruche?"

Beruche sighed, pouting slightly. "Aren't I allowed to show some goodwill, Petz?"

The green-clad soldier stepped out of the shadows when her name was spoken, a hand balanced on her hip as always. She glared at the four assembled collectively, focusing on Makoto for a brief moment before turning to her sister. "Not when it comes to them."

Beruche stepped forward, deciding it was best to move away from Makoto in case she decided to ignore what Beruche had said earlier. "Petz, you know as well as I that they're going to need to be able to walk once all of this is over. Better they can do it quickly and without aid."

Petz sniffed and nodded as Beruche stepped out of the cell once more. None of the other girls moved, though it was clear that Rei and Makoto were both sorely tempted. "True enough. Any one else would likely take advantage of the situation."

"And kill us?" Rei asked, her voice like stone.

"That would be inconvenient for you, wouldn't it?" Makoto ground out.

Petz narrowed her eyes and glared at Beruche. "What have you said?"

Beruche held up her arms defensively. "Don't look at me. If you want to blame someone, look to your usual target. Karaberas spoke with them earlier."

"And what did she tell you?" Petz snarled, focusing her attention on Ami. Beruche's nickname for her did have some truth in it after all.

Ami shrank back and glanced at Rei and Makoto. It was clear that they would not have said anything, but Ami knew the punishment for disobedience. She did not think she could withstand another shock, and it was better for her friends if she just cooperated. Perhaps if it was just her, she would have kept her peace, but she was not going to put them through any more pain than necessary. "She just said you needed us to get to Sailor Moon. She didn't explain what that meant."

Beruche sniffed. "Well, at least that's all she said."

"What do you want from Sailor Moon?" Rei asked, her usual fire returning where Usagi's safety was concerned. "Are you planning on having her switch with us? Our lives for hers?"

Beruche laughed a bit at that. "Goodness no. That would be far more work than necessary." Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Besides, she'd be of little use to his Highness dead."

It wasn't exactly a slip of the tongue, but it earned her a glare from Petz. Rei did not fail to notice it and filed it away in order to consider it further later.

"What is it then?" Makoto asked, her back straightening. "What do you want her for?"

Petz scoffed. "You aren't even supposed to know that much. I see no reason to give you any further details."

"If you're smart, you'll figure it out," Beruche told them. She gave them an oddly pleasant smile and waved, saying, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other places to be." And with that, there was no reason for her to stay, so she left.

Petz remained a moment longer but only to give the three captives a stern look. She folded her arms in front of her chest and said, "You're lucky Beruche is here. If it were up to me, you'd starve."

"And if it were up to me, you'd bleed," Makoto spat. It was fairly clear that if the bars had not been between them, she would have attacked Petz some time ago.

Petz glared but said nothing. Instead, she snapped her fingers and left the girls to their cooling breakfast and Makoto's anguished screams.

-----

Two girls were already crossed off the list, and Karaberas was working on number three.

Rubeus had been sending her after girls that vaguely matched Sailor Venus's description for several days now, and so far she hadn't been able to find anyone who could even come close to being the Solider of Love. There was always something wrong with them. And thus far, the names on her lists didn't seem to be much better.

However, Rubeus had been more confident about these girls than he had been before. After catching Mercury and Mars, Saffir had done a cross reference of their names in order to come up with results that should be more on the mark. The girls on this list frequently visited the Hikawa Jinja, attended the same jukus, or had some other connection to one or both of the girls. Obviously, they didn't all have the exact same traits, but Saffir was certain that one of these girls was Sailor Venus.

So far, he couldn't have been further off the mark. One girl had been out of town for the past week and the other was currently in traction. Obviously, that took them out of the running.

Karaberas was currently tracking her third target, who was traveling by car. It was Saturday now, so she could have been going anywhere. The only thing Karaberas could be certain of was that her target was in a hurry. She was speeding as much as one could speed in Tokyo, sticking to roads that were not as laden down with traffic.

Karaberas frowned as she continued following the car. She was levitating in the air, practically flying after the vehicle in order to keep up. She had no idea where the girl was going or if she was even going to stop any time soon. She'd wasted quite a bit of time investigating the two other girls, and she was getting restless.

"I think its time to speed up the process," Karaberas muttered, her frown quickly twisting into a crooked smile.

She checked to make sure there weren't too many people around and then vanished from her position in the air. She reappeared on the road just ten feet away from the speeding car. The driver panicked and swerved the wheel in a desperate attempt to avoid Karaberas. Unfortunately, her speed had done her no favors. She lost control of the wheel, and while it was only for a short time, it lasted long enough for her to crash into a telephone pole.

Karaberas wasted no time. She teleported over to the car and forced the passenger's side door opened. The driver was slumped over in the seat, held up only by her seat built. Karaberas leaned in and picked up the girl without much delicacy. Her target had the same features as all the others - blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a fairly muscular build and was within the height range to be a fairly successful gymnast. She was also bleeding profusely from several injuries Karaberas's stunt had caused, but she couldn't be bothered with that.

She looked at the girl's wrists and found no communicator similar to what Mercury and Jupiter had possessed. Still, it was possible that her target had it and her henshin stick stashed somewhere else in the car. One thing was for certain however; there was no way that Sailor Venus would be without those tools. So all Karaberas had to do was find them and then she could confirm this girl's identity.

Working swiftly, Karaberas searched nearly every inch of the car. She dug through the girl's pack and the three purses she had stashed in the back seat of her car. She searched every compartment the vehicle contained. She even went through the girl's pockets, but she found nothing.

Karaberas was about to take another look around the car when she heard the sirens of an emergency vehicle on their way. She swore, afraid that she had overlooked something in her search. She nearly left in spite of the fact that she was going to have to return later when something stopped her. She leaned forward and took a closer look at the girl's hair. She hadn't noticed it before, thinking that it had been blood, but upon closer inspection, she received her confirmation.

The driver had dark roots.

Karaberas grabbed the girl's hair and instantly knew that this was not a match. In her fights with Sailor Venus, there had been a fair amount of hair-grabbing on her part. She'd yanked out enough to know that Sailor Venus was no bleach blonde. This girl must have lied in her records, which would explain why Saffir hadn't caught it before.

While it was a relief to have a clear answer, Karaberas was not happy that this was yet another lead turned cold. She growled and vanished once more, the flash caused by her movement vanishing just as the ambulance rounded the corner.

-----

Motoki was stuck with the Saturday shift at the Crown again, and he couldn't say he was thrilled about it. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do of course. Reika was still out of the country, he didn't have any especially important exams to study for, and he could hardly go out with Mamoru considering he was still in the hospital. But it didn't change the fact that Motoki sincerely wished he had the guts to refuse to work on Saturdays, but as everyone loved informing him, he was really too nice.

Motoki's hatred for the Saturday shift stemmed from the very simple fact that it was one of the Crown's busiest days. All of the schools that didn't have Saturday session that week seemed to congregate at the establishment, and he was usually the only person on duty. He had gently hinted that they hire someone else to help out when things got so busy, but apparently his gentle hints had a tendency to fall on deaf ears. So, Motoki was stuck waiting on too many people at once, and he went home exhausted every Saturday night, cursing the fact that he had to be such a nice guy.

And that was why Motoki was supremely saddened when Usagi came into the Crown early that morning. He could tell immediately that she was distraught and needed to talk to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't get to her as soon as he would have liked. When she tried to attract his attention, he threw her a desperate look and gestured to the masses of people that had gathered in the arcade. She'd understood and nodded somberly, but she hadn't left. She merely slid into an open booth and waited for him.

It literally took him several hours to find time to speak with her. Things simply would not slow down. He didn't even notice when yet another familiar blonde slid in after her, keeping herself hidden from unwanted eyes.

When he did sit down across from her, he started babbling, not really looking at her. "I'm sorry about that, Usagi. You know how crazy it tends to get on Saturdays. This weekend seems to be even more insane than usual, though I can't think of why that would--"

He brought himself to an immediate stop when he took a good look at her eyes. He had noticed her distress instantly, but he had not gotten the whole picture until that moment. Motoki was so used to seeing her with a smile that her haunted, anguished expression nearly made him shudder. He had never seen a person look so lost in his entire life. He looked into her eyes and saw her pain, and he could think of nothing he would have liked more than to rid her of it.

"Usagi, you look..." he tapered off, remembering lectures from his girlfriend on such subjects. He swallowed and leaned forward, saying, "I can tell you're upset." He winced at the inappropriateness of the term, but he didn't know what else to say.

She nodded silently, her hands folded in her lap. Her eyelids drooped, apparently self-conscious about baring herself without meaning to. She shook her head and whispered, "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Motoki felt his heart ache at how small and tired she sounded. Usagi was like a little sister to him, and he couldn't stand her being so pathetically despondent. He swallowed and said, "I can't imagine what you must be going through."

Usagi looked up at him, genuinely surprised. Apparently she thought that he did have some experience with it. "They're your friends too. Aren't they?"

"Yes, but..." Motoki trailed off, wincing at how her lip quivered at him. He sighed and glanced down. It was hard to look at her. Almost painful. "I'm not as close with Ami and Rei as you are. I'm worried about them, and I miss them, but it's different with me."

"Makoto's gone too."

Motoki's heart dropped somewhere by his feet. His head snapped up immediately, making his neck hurt. "Makoto? What happened to--"

"She was taken," Usagi whispered, her quiet voice stopping him more thoroughly than if she had shouted. "Just like the others."

He stared at her, starting to feel sick. Knowing that Makoto had met the same fate as two of her friends made all the difference to him. Unlike Rei or Ami, he and Makoto had their own bond. He wasn't oblivious to the crush she still had on him, but that didn't stop them from being good friends. She was as much of a sister to him as Usagi or Unazaki, and knowing that she could be hurt or worse was the most devastating thing he had ever heard.

"My God," Motoki whispered.

"I reported her missing yesterday," she continued softly. "I don't know if they believed me. They were treating the disappearances as if Ami and Rei were targeted for their parents' wealth. But Makoto doesn't have any parents."

Motoki hadn't known that. It made him feel even worse.

"No one even knew she was gone," Usagi continued. "Not until I told them that she hadn't come to school and that there was no one at her apartment."

Motoki rubbed his chin with his palm, the beginnings of stubble grating against his skin. "Did they send someone to search it?"

Usagi shrugged. "They said they would, but like I said, I'm not sure that they believed me."

Motoki shook his head. She didn't deserve to endure this. And they didn't deserve whatever fate had been dealt them. He was optimistic about it, but it was hard to have that much hope. "This doesn't make any sense."

Usagi looked up with as much surprise as she could muster. She was currently numb. "What do you mean?"

"Three of your friends were taken," Motoki said, his gestures sharp and quick as he worked it all out in his head. "You were all involved in that... thing with the tree. Don't they consider that?"

Usagi sighed. "I don't know. I guess they just want to stick to plausible theories they can actually do something about."

Motoki wanted to protest that more. After all, everyone already knew that the attacks were supernatural in nature. Only the desperate skeptics were continuing to contest that. Tokyo was just too strange to deny that paranormal activity existed.

But even as he began to formulate the argument in his mind, it occurred to him that the police must be endlessly frustrated with so many cases that they simply couldn't solve. They couldn't hold a séance to chase down leads or something equally outlandish. But they could look for a common thread - like wealth or location - something they could actually investigate. It made sense that at least one police officer would turn a blind eye to more leads he couldn't investigate. Unfortunately, Usagi happened to talk to that one.

"I guess you're right," Motoki said softly. "Still, I wish there was more that could be done."

"So do I."

Motoki blinked. He supposed it shouldn't surprise him so much considering what she had been through, but the sound of her voice was enough to make his breath stop in his throat. There was steel and iron there, something he had never expected from her. He had assumed that Usagi would shatter, and she did seem a little broken. But somehow, she wasn't letting that stop her.

Motoki reached across the table and grabbed Usagi's hand. It surprised her, and she almost pulled away from him. But when she looked up and saw his empathy and the soft smile on his lips, she stilled. After a few seconds, she squeezed back, acknowledging his attempt to help her.

He just wished there was more he could do.

-----

"Any word from Karaberas?"

Petz looked up, partially surprised to see Cooan standing a few feet away from her. The younger girl was no longer wearing as many bandages on her arms thanks to the quick acting healing salve. She still had restricted mobility, but she seemed to be in less pain than she had been at first, and for that they were all grateful. The less they had to listen to Cooan's whining, the better.

"Why are you asking me?" Petz queried without humor. "Why should I know where she goes or stays?"

Cooan seemed slightly affronted, but she did not back down. "Because you would be the first one to know if Karaberas triumphs or fails. She'll come singing it to you for the first, and you'll sense her misery if it's the other one."

Petz chuckled, conceding that point. "In that case, the answer's no. I haven't even seen her since yesterday."

Cooan frowned at the memory. "I never thought that Master Rubeus--"

"Was capable of doing that much damage?" Petz asked, an eyebrow raised. "If you thought he was a merciful man, you're a fool."

Cooan narrowed her eyes and snapped, "I never thought he was merciful. I just didn't think he'd turn on one of us so quickly."

"Karaberas is an idiot," Petz continued scathingly. "I would have done the same thing."

Cooan snorted. "I don't doubt it."

Petz could tell that the remark had not been a compliment, and she glared at Cooan darkly. Once again, her sister refused to concede defeat. However, Petz had no patience for Cooan at the moment, so she prepared to send the girl on her way. "You have asked me your question. You can leave now."

Cooan did not budge. "I wanted to ask you something--"

"Then ask it!" Petz said sharply. "I don't need a prologue."

Cooan's eyes darkened and her weight shifted to her left foot. Petz could tell that if her arms were not so tender, she would have folded them in front of her chest. But the stance was still unavailable for the time being, and the lack of it was distracting to them both. "What do you think about the Senshi?"

Petz wanted nothing more than for Cooan to leave at this point. As if she cared at all about this conversation. She rolled her eyes and said, "I don't think much of anything except that I wish we could kill them."

"But doesn't something seem off?" Cooan pressed.

Before she could stop herself, Petz asked, "What do you mean?"

Cooan paused for a moment, giving herself time to collect her thoughts and Petz time to sincerely regret being related to Cooan. "They just seem different that's all. I wouldn't expect them to grow up to be bloodthirsty tyrants."

Petz looked at Cooan in complete disbelief. "I always took you for a fool, but I never thought you were this naive."

Cooan's temper flared instantly. She stalked forward, trying to clench her fists and failing. Her lips curled as she snarled, "Wait a minute, Petz!"

"No, I don't think so," Petz said, not even bothering to rise from her seat. Cooan was no threat to her; she had no reason to face it with any amount of seriousness. "Cooan, they're young yet. Of course they seem different now than they do in the future."

Cooan looked ready to stamp her foot. "That isn't what I mean--"

"And I can't even believe that you're suggesting such a thing," Petz continued, pretending that Cooan had not spoken. "Mars is just as much of a bitch as she ever was. Jupiter all but worships violence. And Mercury's sympathy rings just as false now as it will then. I fail to see how you can think that these aren't the right women. We know they're the Senshi."

"That's just it," Cooan insisted. "I know they're the right girls, but at the same time... They seem wrong."

It took Petz a moment to understand what Cooan was saying. Now she felt the need to stand up. "Are you questioning our cause, sister?"

Now Cooan looked at her like she was stupid. "Of course not. I'm just... confused."

"You'll be even more confused if you say anything like this again because I will hit you upside the head so hard you'll barely be able to see straight," Petz growled. "Listen to me, Cooan. If you breathe a word of this conversation to anyone else - especially Master Rubeus, you'll be in worse trouble than ever. This is as good as treason."

Cooan sighed in exasperation. "I'm not being treasonous. I'm just asking a--"

"Well, don't!" Petz shouted, cutting her off. "It's nothing but idiocy, and I expect better even from you." She shook her head quickly, her bangs falling into her face. "What made you even think it was a good idea to bring this to me?"

Cooan looked at her, wondering why she had done it herself. But it did not take her to realize it. "I came to you because you're the leader and the eldest. I thought you might be able to offer some guidance instead of cruelty." She shook her head in regret. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a fool."

And then Cooan was gone. Petz was left alone in the viewing chamber, staring at nothing. She had been anxious to get rid of Cooan, but now that the younger girl was gone, Petz realized that she felt something altogether different. It knotted itself into her stomach, tightening and making her uncomfortable. She had said nothing more than the truth and acted as she always did, but she still couldn't shake some strange emotion that was only vaguely familiar to her. It took her another five minutes to realize was it was.

She almost regretted what she had done.

-----

The worst part about it was that it was silent. She tried to will her heels to clack against the ground or her heart to pound in her ears, but nothing would utter a sound. She even tried screaming, but her throat would not cooperate. It was like every nightmare she had ever had where she needed help but could not call out for it. Only this time, Venus wasn't fighting anything. She didn't need help. She needed noise.

She was just walking. She had no idea where she was going, though she was certain that she had to reach her destination before it was too late. Not that she knew the reason for her desperate deadline. Sometimes Venus thought that she was going to find her missing friends and other times she was quite certain the dread lodged in her stomach was something far more innocuous like an important exam or a volleyball game. That didn't explain the transformation, but it wasn't as if dream logic was at all logical.

The path she was walking stretched out for miles. At times it was worn through a dense forest and other times it was winding through an empty ghost town that looked frighteningly like the Juuban district. But that was only when she could see the road; sometimes it hid from her.

It was when she couldn't see the road (or when it didn't want to be seen) that she fell. Her forearms hit the ground, absorbing most of the impact and displacing it more evenly than if it had been her palms or her elbows. She groaned, wincing as it echoed against unseen, distant walls. She got the distinct feeling that her foot had caught on something, but there didn't seem to be anything around. She looked down at her foot to see what it was.

She was wearing blue shoes.

She gasped, her lungs protesting at the amount of air that filled them up at once. She glanced down at her outfit, still hoping to see a gold skirt and other signs that her worst fears hadn't somehow come true. But she couldn't deny that she was looking at a blue skirt, trimmed in red, and her stomach peaking out of a crop-top that had always been more trouble than it was worth.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm not her anymore."

She pulled herself to her feet and started trying to rip the costume off. She had renounced this persona ages ago, and she had no intention of taking it up again now. But no matter how much she wanted to get rid of it, she couldn't get the uniform off. Neither strength nor patience would make it budge.

"No, no, no," she hissed, her desperation climbing. "Didn't you hear me? I'm not her anymore. I'm not!"

The lights went on, though she hadn't even realized before how dark it had been. She looked around, searching for something to get the costume off, but all she saw was her reflection. She was surrounded by mirrors.

She stopped moving and stared at Sailor V.

"I am not you," she said, her voice shaking. "You can't make me be you again."

Sailor V smirked, startling her. She hadn't expected that from the reflection. "You're not me? How strange. You're wearing the costume. You look like me. Sound like me. How are you not me?"

"Sailor V fights alone," she snapped.

"You're not alone?" Sailor V asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I don't see any companions."

She shook her head, flaxen hair getting caught on a mask she did not want to be wearing. "I have allies now. The other Sailor Senshi."

"Three of whom have been captured," Sailor V recounted, folding her arms in front of her chest smugly. "And the other one - the princess no less - who hates you."

She flinched. "She doesn't hate me."

Sailor V laughed. It sounded like silver bells and twisting metal. "Really. She certainly fooled me."

"Usagi is just angry," she insisted.

"But aren't you the one who said that she would never forgive you?" Sailor V asked.

She hated logic. She'd never been good at it. "Yes, but--"

"Isn't that hatred?"

"Usagi doesn't hate people!" she maintained.

"She just refuses to forgive them?" Sailor V questioned.

She nodded. "Yes!"

"Doesn't she tend to kill those she can't forgive?"

Her heart stopped for a moment. She swallowed, clenching her fists. She should have known all along that she was wearing the wrong outfit. It made her feel sick. "She... Usagi wouldn't kill me."

"I'm not suggesting that," Sailor V said, holding out her hands in a placating gesture. "But I'd say that it's safe to assume that she's abandoned you."

"If I needed her, she would help me," she insisted.

Sailor V scoffed. "I doubt that."

"How can you be so smug?" she demanded. "You were always so cocky, so sure of yourself. But you almost died when the building fell in on you--"

"No!" Sailor V raged, her subtle disdain quickly switching to fury. "I almost died when I discovered the truth about Alan and Katarina! It's other people - supposed friends that almost killed me."

She blinked. "That's why you think it's better to be alone?"

"No, but it helps support the idea," Sailor V snapped. "Don't you remember what it was like to be me? It was better then."

"It was lonely then," she said, shaking her head again. "And terrifying. I cried so much then--"

"Do you really cry less now?" Sailor V challenged.

She narrowed her eyes. "I have other people who cry with me. Other people who understand what it is like to have died and come back only to face death again. It is better now."

"Those other people have abandoned you!" Sailor V shouted.

"I'm going to find them!" she yelled back. "That's where I'm going!" As she said it, she knew it was true.

Sailor V scoffed. "You won't make it in time. Not even Sailor V can save them now."

"No, she can't. But Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus can save them. And that's what we're going to do."

"If that's true, then where is Sailor Moon?" Sailor V demanded. "Where is Usagi?"

She couldn't answer that question.

Sailor V smiled coolly, reassured of how right she was. "Listen to me. You were a better fighter when you were me. You took more risks. You had better results. You were a star. And what are you now? An abandoned lackey for a spoiled princess."

She closed her eyes, shutting out the reflection. "No."

"Stop denying me," Sailor V insisted. "It's better to be alone."

Just for a second, she was tempted. After all, if she was Sailor V, there would be no one to abandon her. Even Artemis had been a distant presence in her life before she had moved back to Tokyo. He had only become a real confidante when he saw how damaged she had been in the last fight as Sailor V. If she took up that mantle again, she could be free of the others. She could be famous again. She'd be the people's hero. And then everyone would forget about Sailor Moon.

But they'd forget about Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter too.

"I am not you!" she shouted. She brought both of her hands up to her mask, her signature, and started to pull. It was just as firmly attached as every other part of her costume, but this was different. Every yank was painful, and it took her a moment to realize that it was attached to her skin.

Sailor V was laughing. "You can't get rid of me."

She pulled.

"You can't deny me."

She ground her teeth and pulled harder.

"I am you."

She inhaled and tightened her grip.

"I said, '**no**.'"

Finally, the mask came off with a terrible rip and unbelievable pain. She thought she was screaming and was reasonably sure she was bleeding, but the only thing she could really be sure of what that Sailor V was still laughing. And it was never going to stop because she was right.

-----

"Minako!"

She sat up with a shriek, panting desperately. She looked around desperately, looking for the mirrors and the reflection of Sailor V. When she didn't see that, her hands flew to her face. She was relieved to find that it was still there and that there was no mask. Only then did she allow herself to calm down and figure out what was going on.

"Minako, are you all right?"

After a second, she recognized the voice. She swallowed and said, "Yeah. I'm fine, Motoki. I'm fine."

Her eyes began to adjust to the lack of light. She had no idea why it would be so dark, but she didn't dwell on it for long. She was too busy deciding that she was still at the Crown and that some time had passed since she had followed Usagi inside. It was much quieter now.

She was finally able to find Motoki. She couldn't see much of him, but his eyes were clearly visible. He obviously did not believe she was fine. "You were asleep.  
And shouting."

"I was?" Minako asked, pushing her fingers into her bangs in an attempt to cover up how violently her hands were shaking. "I must have dozed off."

"Must have," Motoki agreed, the frown evident in his voice. "Minako, are you sure you're all right? It took me awhile to bring you around, and you don't look so great." He managed to catch her free hand, his thumb resting on the veins in her wrist. "God, you're trembling. And your pulse is really erratic."

Minako pulled her hand away and waved it at him. "Don't worry so much. I'm okay." She stopped, quickly remembering the subject matter of her nightmare. She swallowed but found that her throat was as dry and rough as sandpaper. "You said I was shouting, right? Did you hear what I was saying?"

Motoki shook his head. "Not really. I caught the word 'no' plenty of times."

Minako chuckled without much enthusiasm, but the news was another relief. "Yeah. That Boogeyman just can't take a hint."

"Apparently," Motoki murmured, his brow furrowed. "Minako, how long have you been here?"

"That depends on what time it is," Minako answered.

Motoki glanced down at his watch, pushing a button on the side to make the display screen light up. "As I suspected, it is almost Sunday."

Minako scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking Motoki over. "You're kidding, right? Motoki, please tell me that you're kidding!"

He shook his head. "Nope. Can't say that I am."

Absurdly, the first thing that Minako thought of was that her mother was going to be furious with her for getting in so late. But immediately afterwards, Minako remembered why she had gone to the Crown in the first place. If it really was almost midnight, then she had let Usagi go around unwatched for at least seven hours.

"Damn it," she swore, surprising Motoki and herself. Minako instantly brought up the wristwatch communicator to her face, checking to make sure that Usagi hadn't called her for help while she'd been out. The two might not have been speaking, but Minako was relatively sure that she would call for help if it was needed.

"I just told you what time it was," Motoki said, mystified rather than irritated. "And since when do you--"

Minako started to gather up her things. "Motoki, thank you very much for waking me up and not locking me in or whatever, but I really need to get going." She started to push past him when he grabbed her arm. His grasp was gentle enough, but it still startled her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm walking you home," Motoki insisted, sounding more serious than she could ever recall.

She blinked. "What?" she laughed nervously. "Motoki, you don't have to do that."

Motoki smiled, looking a little sad. "Actually, I do. It's too late for a young girl to be walking by herself under normal circumstances. You still seem out of it,  
and I'd hate for you to go wandering into traffic or..." He hesitated, betraying his real reason for accompanying her.

She looked down. "You heard about Makoto, didn't you?"

His fingers relaxed to the point where he nearly let her go. "Yeah. I heard."

She sighed quietly. There was no getting around it now. Even though she could very well be endangering his life, there would be no talking Motoki out of walking her home. Thankfully, he didn't know where she lived. She would just lead him back to Usagi's place and take up her post outside of her window again. At least she wouldn't have to worry about falling asleep. She'd gotten quite enough of that at the arcade.

"Well, if you're going to insist on being a gentleman, I suppose there's no stopping you," Minako dramatized. She waved her hand and added, "Let's get going."

-----

Karaberas had experienced moments of indecision with the other girls, even after she had presumably ruled them out. She continued going over the information she had gathered, second-guessing herself, even going so far as to check up on them again. Normally, she was not so careful, but it was imperative that she make no mistakes if she was going to win back Rubeus's favor. It was enough to make her chew on her lip until she had to swallow the skin and taste her own blood, a habit she thought she had broken in her adolescence. It was giving her headaches and heart palpitations, and she wasn't enjoying any of it.

However, she had never been more sure in her life that a girl was not Sailor Venus when she saw her fourth target sneak a kiss underneath the streetlight. Normally, this would have proven nothing. Except the target's companion was another girl. And if there was on thing Karaberas was sure of, it was Venus's sexuality.

Karaberas reached into her bosom and drew out the short list of names she had been given. She skipped the first four and allowed her eyes to settle on the final name. She smiled.

"Gotcha."

-----

"So, how are you holding up?" Motoki asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them for the past few minutes.

Minako didn't answer him immediately. She was too busy trying to remember if the next turn was a left or a right. She slowed her pace as discreetly as possible, hoping that it would come to her in a moment. "All right. I guess."

Motoki glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "So that's why you're having nightmares in restaurant booths?"

Minako closed her eyes and came to stop. It would buy her more time. "Motoki--"

"Don't lie, Minako," Motoki said gently, not chiding her like Rei would have done had she been there. "Especially not when it's obvious."

Minako found her fingers curling into fists, the jagged edges of her nails scraping against her skin. "So maybe I'm not all right. And maybe it was stupid to say that with three friends missing, one not speaking to me, and Mamoru--" Minako stopped, remembering that Motoki wasn't supposed to know about that. She sighed and said, "It's left." She started walking again, listening for Motoki's footsteps to echo her own.

"What about Mamoru?" Motoki asked, catching up to her.

Minako looked at him as if he were being the slow one for once. "He is in the hospital."

"You're not friends," Motoki answered, looking like he regretted it immediately.

Minako laughed wryly. "No, we aren't."

"I just meant..." Motoki trailed off, shoving his hands into his pockets. He shook his head and finally said what he had been trying to get at from the beginning. "I want to know what's going on, Minako."

Minako pretended not to hear.

"Why are you and the girls always involved in these strange incidents?" Motoki pressed. "How did you get out of that Tree thing with barely a scratch and Mamoru ended up in the hospital half-dead? Why are Rei and Ami and Makoto missing?" He paused, obviously waiting for her to answer. When she continued ignoring him, he reached forward and grabbed her arm, stopping both their progress. He spun her around, glaring directly into her eyes. "Why won't you answer me?!"

Motoki kept looking at her, trying to maintain his scowl, but it quickly began fading. He swallowed, his eyes growing wide. He was getting nervous and all because while he had been expecting Minako to look at him in surprise or even fear, she was returning his stare multiplied by ten.

He released her without being asked.

Minako kept looking at him, wanting to soften her look, but knowing that he wouldn't listen to her unless she kept looking this rough. "Don't ask me those questions again," she whispered, not bothering to speak the obvious addition: "If you know what's good for you."

They stood there for a moment, the sound of the wind blowing across the virtually empty street. It was unusual for Tokyo to be so dead at night, but people disappearing tended to make others more cautious. Obviously, they were forgetting that all three victims had been taken in broad daylight with plenty of witnesses. But the solitude was helpful for Minako's cause. It made their surroundings seem eerie and that much more threatening. It would make Motoki listen to what she was saying.

He still looked anxious, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from saying, "I just want things to be normal again."

Unsurprisingly, that was what made Minako's sharpness fade. She smiled at him and said, "So do I."

"How touching."

Minako recognized the voice immediately. She might not have heard it for very long, but she could never forget the sound of the woman who had taken Makoto away. She whirled, scowling at the gold-clothed woman standing in their path.

She smirked, chuckling to herself. "Well, your stance certainly erases any doubts I had about who you are."

Minako was about to respond when her view was blocked by a sea of blue. She blinked, and had to take a moment before she realized that Motoki had come to stand in front of her.

"Who are you?" Motoki asked, trying to sound more imposing than he could ever hope to be. "What do you want with Minako?"

"Motoki, you idiot," Minako hissed. "Get out of the way!"

The woman laughed aloud, and Minako flinched, thinking it sounded far more like the metal of a car twisting on impact. "My name is Karaberas, and what I want with... Minako is none of your concern. Move, boy."

Motoki stood his ground, planting himself even more firmly. He even reached behind him and grabbed Minako, holding her in place lest she try to change their positions. "I'm not letting you get her too!"

Minako started to panic, remembering Yuuichirou in the hospital. The memory of burnt flesh overwhelmed her. She trembled. "Motoki, stop it! You're not supposed to--"

"I'm not supposed to let my friends get hurt," Motoki interrupted, his voice so steeled that she almost believed he could save her. "And I'm not losing anyone else."

"Don't be foolish," Karaberas snapped. "I will remove you if I have to."

Minako pounded on Motoki's back with her free arm, knowing that she could get away if she wanted to, but not without hurting him. "Motoki, stop it!"

"No!" Motoki shouted back.

Minako heard Karaberas sigh. "So be it then."

The next few moments were a blur. Minako was cognizant only of a sharp sound - almost like a gunshot. Then she felt Motoki squeeze her arm and pull, and the next thing she knew she was stumbling into the street, skidding to the ground. She heard him yell, but she didn't turn around or even stop her momentum in time. When she did finally manage to look back, Motoki was sliding down the wall. His eyes were closed, and he left a trail of blood.

"Motoki!" Minako screamed as she ran over to her fallen friend. She didn't take the time to stop from bruising her knees as she knelt by him. She reached forward, shaking him as gently as she could in her panic. She knew she was crying, sobbing maybe, and she couldn't stop saying his name.

"Hmph. Serves him right for not listening."

Minako's head snapped over to where her enemy was standing. She could scarcely see Karaberas through the water in her eyes, but that didn't matter. She knew where her target was, what they had done, and how they were going to pay.

"He wasn't involved," Minako hissed, her voice so low that it almost frightened her.

"He made himself get involved," Karaberas insisted. "I warned him."

Minako shook her head. She reached into her pocket as she got to her feet, pulling out the transformation wand she didn't have to hide from her enemy. She gripped it like it was her lifeline, her skin turning white. She blinked away her tears, glaring. "I will _never _forgive you."

"Neither will I," Karaberas spat.

Minako didn't answer her. She merely lifted her wand into the sky and called out the familiar transformation phrase. As she twisted and turned among the light, she knew that she was in for the fight of her life.

-----

After leaving the Crown, Usagi had been lying in her room, trying to figure out what to do.

Talking to Motoki had helped, yes, but it wasn't the same. She was used to having someone there who understood what was wrong. But there wasn't anyone around anymore. After her breakdown Friday morning, Usagi hadn't seen Luna. Presumably, she was off with Artemis trying to devise some kind of plan. Neither of the cats were around to talk to her, and Usagi didn't want to be around Minako.

That's what she'd thought anyway.

She couldn't get the threat of losing Minako out of her head. She remembered learning of Minako's feelings at Hikawa Jinja bitterly. Sometimes she could still feel her hand sting from where it had struck the girl across the mouth.

But there were other things to remember too. Times when Minako hadn't been a sworn enemy. Times when Minako had been a friend.

She hadn't called out to Minako when she was begging the Ginzuishou for everything to be normal again, but Usagi realized now that she should have. Normalcy was having Minako as a friend. Or baring that, Minako as an ally. Minako in her life.

Then again, there was really no way to get Minako out of her life. They were comrades. And it was hard to fight alongside someone she was fighting with. Just like it was hard to keep getting through every day with no one but people who could not be told what was happening to comfort her.

She couldn't lose Minako. Maybe she couldn't forgive her yet, but she couldn't lose her either.

Before she was even aware that she was moving, Usagi had walked out of the room and down the stairs to the telephone in the hallway. As she dialed Minako's number, she thought of how it would be nice to call Minako on the communicator, see her face, but that would undoubtedly make Minako come running when nothing was wrong.

She finished dialing the number and waited. The phone didn't even finish ringing once.

"Minako?" an older woman said at the other end of the line. "Is that you?"

Usagi felt bile begin to rise up in her throat. "Mrs. Aino? I'm sorry, it's not Minako. It's her friend, Usagi. I was just calling--"

"Then Minako isn't with you either," Mrs. Aino said, irritation and worry evident in her tone. "I had been thinking about calling, but I knew you two were... in the middle of something."

Usagi closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cool wall. Her mother even knew that they weren't speaking. "I was calling to see if I could talk with her... So Minako hasn't come home?"

"No, she hasn't," Mrs. Aino confessed. "I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if she was at home at all last night either. I came in to wake her up, and her bed was made. That never happens."

Usagi started to feel even more panicked. What if Minako had been gone for hours and Usagi had had no idea? But Minako would call if she was in danger. She wouldn't try to face her enemies alone just for the sake of pride. Rei would do that, but not Minako.

Right?

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Mrs. Aino asked.

In truth, she had no idea. But that didn't change her answer. "I'm going out to look for her, Mrs. Aino. I'll let you know if I find anything out."

Usagi could hear Minako's mother start to protest, reminding her of the recent kidnappings Usagi doubted her mother realized were connected to Minako at all. Minako made a point of keeping her mother out of her personal life. Usagi was the only one of the girls Mrs. Aino knew about, and Minako planned on keeping it that way.

Before Usagi set out into the night, she glanced down at the pink communicator strapped to her wrist. She flipped it over, depressing the orange button in hopes of contacting Minako and finding out that she'd fallen asleep on a park bench or gotten distracted by following a cute guy. If that was the case, then she was safe. As soon as Usagi knew that, she could think of what she felt for Minako and what she was going to say.

She waited for exactly sixty seconds. Minako didn't pick up.

That did it. Usagi marched towards the foyer, grabbing for her jacket and stepping into her shoes. She was struggling with the sleeve when she was stopped by her brother's voice.

"Where are you going?" he asked, eyes narrowed and arms akimbo. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs. There was no telling how long he had been there. She hoped that he just thought she'd been checking her watch and couldn't tell the difference between the minute and the second hand. "It's too late for you to be going out."

Usagi looked up at him, glaring. "You're not Dad."

"I could tell Dad."

"Shingo," Usagi said testily, her voice cracking. "I think one of my friends is in trouble. The only one that isn't already in trouble as a matter of fact. You can't expect me to sit around at just let something happen to her."

Shingo's eyes widened in understanding. "I could get Dad and we could all go out--"

"No," Usagi said forcefully, perhaps more so than her brother had ever heard her before. "Shingo, listen to me. Don't tell Mom or Dad anything about this."

Shingo balled up his fists and walked down the rest of the stairs, getting up in her face. "I don't want you to go out alone!"

"And I don't want you guys to get in the middle of this!" Usagi cried, tears rushing to her eyes.

Shingo stared at her, blinking several times. At first, he seemed bewildered, but slowly Usagi watched the recognition dawn. He leaned forward and whispered, "You know why this is happening, don't you?"

Usagi swallowed, wanting to lie, but knowing that she couldn't. Her brother would never believer her, and if she didn't tell the truth, he was liable to run off to their parents and tell them everything he knew. She was going to have to be honest if there was any hope in keeping him quite.

"Yes," Usagi said soberly. "And I'm the only one who can fix this."

Shingo kept staring at her, and she could tell that he was almost to the point of figuring it out. And she didn't want that either. So she leaned forward and kissed his forehead, knowing that alone was enough to distract him from his train of thought. Then she turned away, sticking her hands in her pockets to make sure that she had her brooch.

"If only Sailor Moon could sort out my problems," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. Even though it sounded like it, she wasn't lying.

-----

Karaberas scarcely gave Venus time to breathe before launching the attack. Venus raced to dodge as the whip came racing for her ankle, evading it only by rolling to the side. Even then, Venus felt the leather cut her arm. She didn't dare wince.

She raised the bleeding arm, extending one finger towards Karaberas. "Crescent Beam!" she called out, watching as the light shot out from her hand like an extension of her will, racing towards her target and threatening to gouge a hole right between Karaberas's eyes. Unfortunately, Karaberas had been expecting such a move, teleporting away so that the beam of light continued flying through the night until it impacted a store window, shattering the glass on impact. Venus cursed and got to her feet, spinning around to where she thought Karaberas would reappear.

Her instincts had been right in the direction, but not in their proximity. Venus blinked and suddenly Karaberas was standing there, her leg swinging up towards the blonde's head. Venus jumped back, catching Karaberas's ankle with her hand and pushing it away. She then returned the kick, only to find that Karaberas was still not about to stand still long enough for Venus to get a shot in. Once again, she vanished before blood was drawn.

Venus snarled and turned. "You can't keep running forever!"

"Sure I can."

Venus was surprised to find that the voice was coming from behind her. She was about to confront her enemy once more when she heard the crack of the whip. She dove wildly, hoping to avoid its sting, but she wasn't as lucky as the last time. This time, the leather slashed against the length of her back. Venus screamed and fell to the pavement, curling inwards in response to be pain.

"So this is the leader of the Sailor Senshi," Karaberas sneered. "Pathetic."

Venus flinched, but thankfully Karaberas couldn't see that. "That doesn't work on me," she lied.

"Yes, it does," Karaberas said, calling her bluff. "If it works in the future, it works now."

Venus silently cursed herself not for forgetting that her enemy was from the future but for failing to take it into account. Venus sighed, shoulders heaving, and muttered. "Fine. It works." She glanced over her shoulder. "That doesn't mean it stops me."

She swung her arm around and fired another Crescent Beam, this time without calling out the attack phrase. It always gave her a migraine afterwards, but it was worth it if the strategy worked.

Her aim was true, slicing into Karaberas's right arm at exactly the same place the whip had cut hers. The brunette cried out, dropping her weapon and covering up the bleeding wound. She looked up and glared.

"Bitch," she hissed.

"Now that really doesn't work on me," Venus quipped getting to her feet.

Karaberas gnashed her teeth. "But this might." She opened her hand and the whip quite literally leapt back into it, a development Venus wasn't expecting. Karaberas lashed out in her direction quickly. Venus jumped back as far as she could, but it wasn't enough. The length of the weapon slapped against her thigh, sending small rivers of blood racing down her leg. Venus bit back a scream.

"Why are you doing this?" Venus asked through her teeth, shifting her weight to her left foot so that she wasn't putting all of her weight on her injured leg.

"You know, I never tire of that question," Karaberas snarled, drawing her arm back and then thrusting it forward, her whip striking like an angry serpent.

Venus leapt up, playing jump rope with the weapon. She landed painfully and blinked back tears. "Fine. I'll try something different then." She jerked her head to the side to avoid another hit. "Are the others all right?"

"Points for originality," Karaberas commended, vanishing once again.

Venus ground her teeth and began to look in all directions for where Karaberas might be. She kept her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to move at the slightest notice.

"They're in pain."

Venus whirled in the direction of her voice, shouting when she saw the whip heading for her face. She leaned back so that her torso was parallel with the ground, but that didn't stop the tip of the leather to impact her face. It ripped open her skin, causing blood to pour out of a wound just beneath her left eye. She straightened, staggering back. She wondered if it looked like she was crying tears of blood.

"But then so are you," Karaberas taunted, a hand on her hip.

Venus wiped at the blood, wincing as her gloves made her skin sing with pain. She remembered her nightmare, ripping the mask away from her face and bringing forth far more blood. She made her back tense to control the shudder. "Are you hurting them?"

"Only when they piss me off," Karaberas said.

Venus narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't inspire confidence."

Karaberas shrugged. "It isn't meant to." Then she lashed out again with a cry, lunging forward so that the thicker length of the whip threatened to leave its mark.

Venus stood her ground, whipping her right arm around again. "Crescent Beam!" she shouted, watching as the beam of light shot out, heading right for the whip. Karaberas had no choice but to teleport away without losing her weapon. It wasn't how Venus preferred to use her power, but it had been effective. That was the important part.

"Are you planning on fighting this one alone, Sailor Venus?" Karaberas called out, her voice echoing so that Venus couldn't tell exactly where it came from.

Venus assumed that she was above her. She stepped out into the middle of the street, searching the roofs and tops of trees for a sign of her opponent. "Only cowards hide."

"No, only smart people hide until its time to come out," Karaberas corrected. "Why haven't you called for help?"

Venus did not dare look over at where Motoki lay, but she wanted to. "I have seen enough of what you do for people who try to help me."

Karaberas laughed. "Sailor Moon would have a great deal more chance of defeating me than your broken boy."

Venus swallowed. "Maybe I just want to fight you myself."

"But you hate being alone."

The sentence took all of the air out of her lungs just as easily as death. Venus found herself staggering with the frightening clarity of the statement. It rang so true, went right to her very core.

"How do you know that?" Venus asked, her voice hoarse.

"Because I know you, Venus."

Karaberas leapt from the shadows of a nearby tree, her weapon already prepared to attack. Venus was shaken by their exchange, and she couldn't bring herself to move in time. The whip circled her, cutting into her flesh and pinning her arms to her sides. She toppled instantly, landing on her right arm. She didn't bother to hide the wince now, hating herself for hesitating in those last moments.

"I can't believe it took me that long," Karaberas hissed chuckling. "And I can't believe how happy Master Rubeus is going to be when I bring you home." She paused cruelly. "I rather think he likes blondes. They're rare where we come from."

Venus struggled against her confines, wishing she could get just one arm free to shut Karaberas up for good. "You're not going to get away with this. I'm not going to let you get away with hurting Motoki!"

Karaberas laughed aloud. It felt like steel fingers were scraping against Venus's bones. "Stupid girl. You're done for! There's no one around to save you."

"Wrong."

Both Karaberas and Venus looked up in surprise to see a familiar silhouette standing on the other side of a lamp post. The figure stepped into the light, blue eyes blazing, scepter brandished like a sword.

Venus stared in disbelief. She'd come. Even though she hadn't called, she'd come to help her.

"Let her go," Sailor Moon threatened.

Karaberas narrowed her eyes and yanked on the whip, dragging Venus towards her. "I might have been ordered not to touch you, girlie, but not at the expense of losing my prey."

"I said, 'let her go,'" Sailor Moon repeated.

Venus finally tore her eyes away from her last ally to look at Karaberas. She was not surprised to find the woman tense, but she was shocked to see that she seemed out of her depth. It was like she didn't know how to respond to Sailor Moon's threats. Like she had no other weapons at her disposal.

That's when Venus realized she didn't.

"You've only got the whip," Venus breathed, disbelieving. "You don't have any power at all!"

Karaberas turned red and turned to Venus, screeching, "Don't you ever, **ever** call me powerless, you stupid whore!"

Now that Karaberas was distracted, Sailor Moon had her opening. The other girl narrowed her eyes and swung her scepter around once, just to get it warmed up. Then without wasting another second, she called out, "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

The pink light spiraled forth from her weapon, racing directly for Karaberas's upper body, leaving just enough space so that it could pass over Venus unharmed. Karaberas turned around just in time to see the attack coming for her.

"No! Stop!" Karaberas yelled.

"You should have let her go," Sailor Moon said quietly.

Karaberas looked around in panic, trying to find a way to get out of the blast's range. The attack was too wide for her to go to either side, and ducking put her in danger of having Venus attack. She started screaming as the attack came for her, vanishing before the brunt of it hit.

Much to Venus's relief, she took the whip with her.

The pair didn't move for a moment, waiting. After a few seconds, they got what they wanted. Karaberas reappeared on top of a building some feet away. Neither Sailor Moon nor Venus could look at the picture Karaberas made. The attack seemed to have burned some of her skin away, blackening it. It shone with her blood. Her body was smoking as if she had been struck by lightning. Even though she had gotten away before the worst of it, she looked very near death.

"I'll be back for you," Karaberas promised. "Both of you! I'm not so easily defeated."

Venus dragged herself to her feet and pointed, aiming right between Karaberas's eyes. "I don't like attacking when my opponent is down. But if you don't get out of here in the next three seconds, you'll never get another chance."

Karaberas glared and spat, "You had better pray that one of my sisters seeks vengeance for me."

And then, Karaberas was gone.

Venus kept her arm raised for a few more moments, refusing to let her guard down until she was sure. After all, Karaberas might immediately send reinforcements to take them down. It seemed unlikely, but it would have been the smart thing to do. Finally, Venus decided that the fight was over for now, and she let her arm drop to her side. Her fingers brushed against the gash on her thigh, and she whimpered.

"You're hurt," Sailor Moon said in surprise, looking down at the wound as though she had just noticed it. "It looks bad."

Venus shook her head. "I'll be fine," she said quietly, happy that her hair was more than long enough to hide the far more serious injuries on her back. She licked her lips, briefly glancing up at Sailor Moon's face and then looking elsewhere again. "You came."

"I was worried," Sailor Moon responded immediately. "You didn't answer your--"

"I know," Venus said, cutting her off. "I was transforming, so I--"

"Right."

Venus nodded awkwardly, sniffing. "Thank you. For coming I mean."

Sailor Moon took a step forward and said, "I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You know that right?"

Venus closed her eyes, pursing her lips. "Not unless you do it to me?"

The words seemed as effective as Karaberas's whip had been in doing damage. Sailor Moon took her step back. Venus could feel her eyes on her, wide and surprised. "Minako, I--"

"Are you sorry?" Venus asked, keeping her eyes shut. "For hitting me. For yelling at me. For treating me like the enemy when I was only trying to help. Are you sorry about that?"

Sailor Moon didn't respond immediately. Venus could hear her swallow, feel her fidget beside her. She started to speak several times, but it took her awhile to get the right words out. Even then they were wrong. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Venus's heart sank. Sailor Moon had come, but nothing had changed. "So you still blame me."

"I love him!"

"And I love you!" Venus shouted with enough vehemence to make both of them jump. She locked eyes with Sailor Moon now, knowing that her gaze was damning and not caring. "That's why I don't want you to get hurt."

"He won't hurt me." Sailor Moon countered, her fingers curling into fists.

"He already has." Venus sighed and reached forward, grabbing Sailor Moon by the shoulders. She shook her gently and said, "Don't you see what's happening? He's not even here, and he's driving us apart, just like the last time. Usagi, I know he loved you in the Silver Millennium and I know he's saved you in this lifetime, but I'm just trying to help you when I tell you to be careful. I don't want you to--"

"You're hurting me!" Sailor Moon accused, pulling away. "You, not him, you!"

Venus stared at her in disbelief, not wanting to take anything back but still wanting to fix this somehow. But all she did was turn on her heel and walk over to where Motoki was lying still unconscious. "Just go, Usagi."

Venus became Minako and busied herself with trying to rouse Motoki. After a few moments, she looked behind her and saw that Sailor Moon wasn't there anymore. Minako had been abandoned again, but this time she'd asked for it. And this time she knew there was no going back.

While it was still safe to do so, Minako bent her head and wept for all that she had lost.

-----

Usagi ran from the scene and didn't stop running until she got home. And even then she only slowed down enough to slam the door behind her and take off her shoes. She kept right on running, thumping loudly up the stairs until she got to her room. There, she threw herself on the bed and sobbed, beating her fists into the pillows. She was throwing a tantrum just like a child, but she didn't care. She wanted to be a child. Back then all she had to do was say she was sorry. Now she couldn't even get to that part without making things worse.

'I'm sorry that I hurt you.' That's what she'd said. And of course she'd set Minako off. That was natural.

But this gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, the anger, the defiance in the face of one her friends and soldiers, that wasn't natural. None of what Usagi was doing was natural. It was all wrong.

She had meant to try and fix things, but she had only made things worse. And now there was a chance that there was no turning back. She might not be able to forgive Minako, and now Minako might not be able to forgive her.

"What's wrong with me?" Usagi sobbed loudly. "What's wrong?"

Even as she asked, she knew she wasn't going to be able to find the answer. All she knew for certain was that everything would be all right if only Mamoru were there. He was her savior. He would fix everything.

And the knowledge that he wasn't going to come made her scream into the night.

-----

Motoki woke up with a pounding headache that, contrary to what others might have believed, was not soothed by the sight of Minako hovering above him.

"Minako?" he groaned, trying to sit up. "What's going--"

"Lay down," she instructed with far more force than he thought her capable of. When he didn't obey immediately, she reached forward and pushed him back down, with soft hands and steeled arms. "I've called the ambulance. They're on their way."

There were a lot of things that he needed to say to her. He needed to figure out why he was so dizzy. He needed to know where that woman had gone. He needed to tell her to get in touch with Reika and Mamoru and let them know what had happened. But there was one thing taking precedence above all that.

"You're all right," he whispered. "You're still here."

Minako stared at him for a moment, blinking. Then she softened, smiling at him. "I am."

He shook his head, almost not believing it. After she'd lost three of her friends, she'd managed to escape the same fate. It was incredibly lucky. "But... how?"

"The Sailor Senshi showed up and sent her packing," Minako explained easily.

Motoki scoffed. "Where were they when Makoto and the others were taken?"

Motoki watched as her face fell. her pink lips turned white as she pressed them together. Shadows passed in front of her eyes. "I didn't get a chance to ask."

Something was wrong about that. That's when he glanced down and saw the blood stain on her skirt, staining the dark material purple with blood. He reached forward, stopping before he touched her. "You're hurt."

Minako laughed humorlessly. "I didn't say they got here immediately."

That was when he noticed how pale she was. Her jaw was clenched, and she seemed to be struggling with every movement. Something was seriously wrong with her. "Minako, tell me what happened."

She just shook her head.

He reached forward, grabbing her arm just like before. "Minako, please, I--"

"Weren't you listening?" Minako asked, her voice breaking. The sight of her tears scared him even more than when she had been serious with him. Both of the concepts were unfamiliar when he compared them to Aino Minako. He didn't know how to react. "You can't know these things. Stop asking me."

"I want to help," he insisted.

"You want to..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "If you really want to do that, then stay away from us."

Motoki swallowed, listening as the sirens in the distance grew louder. "But you're my friends."

Minako leaned forward suddenly, pressing her forehead against his own. It felt cold. He felt her hands on his shoulders and realized she was trying to hug him without moving him.

"I will not let you die," she whispered, terrifying him.

She left him without another word, directing the paramedics over to him. Then he was surrounded by strangers, poking and prodding at every angle. He tried to speak, tried to tell him that she was hurt too, but they wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. They barely even seemed to notice Minako after awhile, and he marveled at her ability to suddenly blend into the background when she seemed so adept at hogging the spotlight.

After a few moments, he was strapped in and being loaded into the back of the van. She was still standing there, watching. He kept his eyes on her the whole time, trying to decide whether to shout out one last question, hoping she would tell him the answer out of sheer irritation.

But he said nothing because he liked being alive.

-----

After resting a few blocks away from where her battle with Venus and later Sailor Moon had taken place, Karaberas went back up to the ship. She landed in a crumpled heap in the center of the viewing chamber. She could barely breathe without moaning in pain. She forced her eyes to stay open, and she saw that all of her sisters were there. She wondered if they had seen how miserably she had done. The possibility of that made her wish that her enemies had killed her after all.

"Karaberas!" Beruche cried, her heels clacking against the metal as she ran. The blue-clad woman was at her side in seconds, trying to see how badly her sister was hurt. Karaberas thought it was probably hard to tell. It felt as if she had been drowning in blood and fire.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Petz drawled from some distance away. She was making no move to check on her fallen sister. "And look at what the rat didn't bring back."

"Shut up, Petz," Cooan snapped, crossing over to Karaberas as well. She reached forward, pushing the fallen hair out of her sister's eyes. "Karaberas, what happened?"

"She failed," Petz called out. "I, for one, don't need to know any more."

Beruche looked up, her eyes cold. "Venus at her best couldn't do this much damage alone."

"Sailor Moon showed up," Cooan surmised. "Didn't she?"

Karaberas nodded. It was all she had the strength to do.

Cooan leapt to her feet, stamping one against the ground. "Bitch!"

Beruche shook her head. "We should have counted on her desperation to hold on to her last ally. You should never have gone out alone."

"I didn't see you volunteering!" Cooan snapped.

"Nor did I see you leaping to her defense," Beruche said coolly. "Don't point fingers at others when you could easily point them at yourself."

"None of that matters, sisters. She would never have taken back-up," Petz scoffed.  
"She can't prove herself if she had help."

"Well, she can't prove anything now!" Cooan yelled. "Back off, Petz! Why don't you make yourself useful and get Master Rubeus!"

"I'm here."

All activity came to a grinding halt as Rubeus entered the room. Karaberas could not see him as her back was turned. But she heard him walk over to her, his footsteps painfully slow. She closed her eyes, expecting him to kick her while she was down. It was what she deserved. Petz was right; she'd failed.

She nearly died from the shock when Rubeus touched her gently on the shoulder.

"So Sailor Moon did this to you, did she?"

Karaberas couldn't move she was that surprised. She had never seen or heard (or heard of) Rubeus being gentle with anyone. She had no idea how to respond.

"Well, in that case, we're just going to have to take care of her. Aren't we?"

Karaberas watched as Beruche's eyes widened. "What are you saying?"

Rubeus planted his feet, and suddenly his arms were wrapping around Karaberas's bleeding, smoldering frame. He lifted her up slowly, taking care not to touch what looked like the worst of her wounds. After he straightened and made sure he was steady, he answered.

"We're taking her."

Coming Soon - Part Eight: Fragile Hope


	8. Fragile Hope

Forgotten Forever  
Part Eight: Fragile Hope  
8/25  
by Kihin Ranno  
R

Now that Karaberas was being tended to by both Beruche and Rubeus, surprising as that was, Cooan was free to take matters into her own hands. She pushed past Petz furiously, her heels stomping against the metal floor of the ship. She might have still been suffering from the after-effects of Mars's assault, which normally would have meant she was still quite weak, but this was different. One of her sisters had been nearly slaughtered. Had she been kicked around, Cooan would have laughed along with Petz, taunting Karaberas on her stupidity of going out alone when things were getting so desperate. But seeing Karaberas looking so frail and all too near a place they sworn they would never brush against again was entirely different.

Hurting her sisters was one thing; it could be forgiven, even lauded. But that Cooan would not let stand.

She continued stalking across the ship until she finally reached the hold where their prisoners were being kept. She was not surprised to see that two of them were sleeping. They had taken to sleeping in shifts for some time now. It was a bit unnerving to see Mars waiting up for her, standing as close to the bars as the collar allowed.

Mars stared at her for a good long while, her violet eyes betraying nothing. The pair of them stood scowling into each other's gazes in relative silence, the distant sound of shouting and Cooan's ragged breathing their only background noise. Finally, after a whole minute of inactivity, Mars made a move.

She smiled.

Cooan curled her fingers, her nails itching to draw blood from her unmarred white flesh. "I'll drag that off your face if you don't, bitch."

"You didn't get her," Mars gloated, paying no mind to Cooan's threats.

"Shut it," Cooan snarled, moving forward.

Infuriatingly, Mars didn't even look worried or even aware that she was being threatened. It was as if she didn't even see Cooan as a threat anymore.

Her past was foretelling the future. That was exactly how the future Soldier of Fire had always looked at Cooan - like she wasn't worth the energy to get worked up over. The actual fight was another matter with savage curses and spilt blood, but the inevitable stare down before that all began was always the same. Mars looked at her like she was a child who threatened to kill a god.

"You got us, but you didn't get her," Mars continued, practically laughing. "You couldn't capture Sailor Venus when she knew you were coming."

"I said, shut up," Cooan continued, shortening the distance between them, her steps like foreboding thunder filling the chamber.

Now Mars laughed without shame. "I only wish I'd had a little warning. I would have used you for kindling if I'd gotten the chance." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "I wonder what Venus and Sailor Moon used your sister for." She smirked. "Or is she all used up?"

"Shut up!" Cooan screeched, leaping forward and grabbing Mars around the neck. She tried to lean back to avoid the grasp, but Cooan moved faster than she'd expected. Though it was tempting just to choke every breath and quip out of her throat, Cooan knew that Mars had to stay alive. So she drew the younger girl forward and held her fast against the bars, giving her enough room to breathe and to scream.

Jupiter and Mercury finally stirred. Jupiter was on her feet first, but Cooan didn't let either of them get very far. With a snap of her fingers, she set off their collars as well, smiling as they dropped flat to the ground, writhing and shrieking in agony. Cooan watched as electric sparks and currents circled their limbs, igniting every nerve in their body with a concentrated jolt. She imagined it was the worst pain anyone could experience.

It was pleasant to watch.

"Who is she?" Cooan hissed, her eyes boring into Mars's, which were wide open.

She took a long, shuddering breath. To her credit, she didn't play dumb and ask who Cooan was talking about. "I. Will. _Never_. Tell."

Cooan bared her teeth and snapped her fingers again, this time turning up the voltage instead of shutting them off. No one had ever done that to the prisoners before, and she could instantly see why. She was sure she never would have been able to endure it without begging for mercy or giving people what they wanted. Their eyes bulged and veins stood straight on end. She even saw a blood vessel in Mercury's eye rupture, but Cooan felt no pity. Only satisfaction at their pain, and frustration that none of them even considered begging.

Cooan turned her eyes back to Mars, watching as a tear filtered down her face. Something told her that it was not from any physical pain. "Tell me who she is."

"No!" Rei growled. "You could do this for years, and I still wouldn't say her name. And they would never tell you either." She took a breath, physically trembling. "So just stop it. Nothing will work."

"Everyone has a breaking point," Cooan countered. "And those collars have one more level on them." She paused, lips twisting in a cruel smile. "Tell me her name, or I'll let you see what fried Senshi look like."

"Rei, don't!" Mercury shouted, twisting on her side and holding her knees.

Jupiter kicked her legs. "We can take it!"

"Actually, I don't think you can," Cooan said coolly. She held up her fingers, ready to snap. "But let's find out shall we?"

Rei's eyes darted over to Cooan's hand, bright with fear.

Jupiter and Mercury reached out for each other and clutched desperately, preparing each other for the worst.

Cooan waited one more second before she finally started to move.

"Cooan, stop!"

She whirled and saw Rubeus running towards her. He took one look at the scene and waved his hand, shutting off the collars that caused so much grief. Neither of them stopped screaming. They just got quieter, so it was easier to hear them sobbing.

Rubeus finished crossing over to Cooan and grabbed her arm, simultaneously knocking Mars to the ground. The red Senshi toppled over with a grunt and instantly curled into a ball. Cooan watched as Jupiter physically covered the girl with her body and Mercury inched closer, whispering fervently to their friend.

She curled her fingers reflexively, letting her nails slowly grow. She turned to Rubeus, so blinded with rage she almost wanted to attack him as well. After all, he was the one who ruined it. He was the one who stopped her when he was really the one who should have laughed the loudest at their pain.

"Let go of me!" Cooan screamed, trying to wrench away from his persistent grasp. "They know her name! They know who did that to Karaberas! We have to get it from them so we can find her, make her pay for--"

Of all the things she expected Rubeus to do, drawing her into an embrace was not anywhere near the top ten.

Cooan froze between his arms, her limbs and back so stiff that she felt they could break. Her cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and she could hear him breathe, steady and soothing against her chest. His arms didn't just circle her; they seemed to shelter her, as if nothing could harm her as long as she stood against him.

True, she fancied Rubeus, but she had never in her wildest dreams thought that anything would actually come of it. She was the youngest, the least experienced, and as Karaberas loved to mention, the most annoying. She never thought she would ever find herself in his arms, so even though a part of her knew the move wasn't romantic in nature, she could trick herself into believing it was. It would make everything so much easier.

"It's all right, Cooan," he whispered in her ear, his voice dark and soothing like chocolate. "Karaberas will be all right."

Cooan took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking full advantage of her position and leaning against him. "But Sailor Moon--"

"We'll find her," Rubeus assured her, his palms flush against her back. "And then Demando will do as he will with her."

"You'll never get her," a pained voice rasped from behind the bars. Cooan knew it was Mars. "Venus won't--"

"There is only so much Aino Minako can do," Rubeus interrupted coldly. Cooan almost found herself smiling at the gasps that followed. "We'll find your precious leader just as we found you four, and we will have her because that was why we came here."

Someone spat on the ground. "Go to hell," Jupiter snarled.

"Can't," Rubeus said easily as he led Cooan out of the room. "You're taking up all the room."

Cooan leaned heavily on Rubeus as he brought her out of the chamber. She knew it was weak and her other sisters would rail at her for it later, but she didn't care. She liked feeling taken care of for once, and she wanted to hold on to this tender side of Rubeus for as long as he allowed her to see it. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before he would recoil and she'd be staring into cold eyes and a twisted smirk.

They stopped after awhile, and Rubeus repositioned her. She stood in front of him, arms hanging limp as he kept his arms on her shoulders. She looked up, and already she saw the barriers coming back. Part of her wanted to rip them away, but another part of her knew they were necessary. Rubeus hadn't become the most feared warrior on Nemesis because he was friendly, after all.

"That was very stupid, Cooan," Rubeus informed her plainly, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "If anything had happened--"

"Mars wouldn't have let me go that far," Cooan interrupted quietly, her voice like steel. "The Senshi protect their own."

Rubeus shook his head. "She would have kept her mouth shut, and we would have lost two very important pieces of our plot."

"You don't know that," Cooan said, her temper starting to make a comeback.

Rubeus looked directly into her eyes, and while Cooan couldn't tell what exactly about him changed, she sensed the change in his demeanor. Her knees threatened to rebel and crumble while her stomach spun itself into a knot. She swallowed even though her mouth was dryer than ash. "If Sailor Moon is who we suspect... Mars would be the last to betray her."

Cooan felt her hands start to shake. If Sailor Moon is who they suspected... If she was the queen, Rubeus was right. Mars, arguably the most loyal of the four, would never have turned on her. She would have let two friends die for the sake of another. And she would have thought it right.

Cooan sighed in disgust. "Forgive me, Master Rubeus."

He nodded. "Do not speak of this again, and I won't think about it." He pulled away, letting his arms drop to his sides. He started to walk away, one of his hands winding around to rub the back of his neck. "Get some rest, Cooan."

Cooan looked after him, knowing she should let him go and yet wanting to ask him to stay. She wanted him to hold her again and let him reassure her that they were doing all they could. He wanted him to repeat over and over again that Karaberas was going to be all right until she believed. And she wanted him to tell her that she wasn't just a stupid child, that she was good enough to be in his life and good enough to take Mars's if she chose. She just wanted him to notice her, to favor her for once. She just wanted him.

But in the end, she couldn't say any of those things, so she merely nodded and turned away. "Yes, Master Rubeus," she whispered, too quiet for him to hear how thick her voice was with tears.

That night she went to bed and cried for her foolishness, for her loneliness, and for the fact that no matter how much she wanted to be, she was never going to be good enough.

-----

After Cooan and Rubeus finally left, Makoto allowed herself to shudder. She had been watching Rubeus from the moment he appeared. Out of all the girls, she had the most cause to be wary of him after what he had done. She had probably been just as surprised as Cooan when he took the raving girl into his arms, holding on in hopes of grounding her.

But Makoto had watched his eyes, and she knew. Nothing about what he had just done was sincere. It was all a ploy to keep her in his control. It was obvious that he was important to her, and he took advantage of that in the worst way possible. He twisted her feelings and used them against her, making sure that she didn't make a move he didn't approve of and stopping him from doing anymore damage.

Makoto was torn between being thankful and being sickened by the move.

"He's the worst," Makoto hissed quietly, worried about being overheard. "Did you see his eyes? They're so..." she trailed off, unable to form the right words.

Ami coughed and spit out a mouthful of blood. She nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean," she muttered, resting her forehead against Rei's shoulder.

"They're dark windows to a disgusting soul," Rei said bitterly, her voice trembling. "But I don't know about him being the worst."

Makoto narrowed her eyes. Even though she was exhausted, she wasn't going to back down from this. "How can you say that? He's playing all of them like pawns on a chess board. Of course he's the--"

"He's not the one who threatened to kill you two if I didn't tell him who Sailor Moon was," Rei snapped, equally concerned about who was listening. "He's the one who stopped it."

"On someone else's orders," Ami whispered drowsily. Out of all of them, she was easily the worst off, and the amount of trauma her body had just been put through was not doing anything to help her.

Makoto nodded in agreement. "If he didn't have to keep us alive, he would have done something like that by now. He was probably secretly enjoying it, the slimy--"

Rei pushed herself up as far on her elbows as she could manage under Makoto's weight and slammed her palms down on the floor, effectively silencing Makoto. She screwed her face up so harshly that Makoto's ached in sympathy, and even more so when she realized it was because Rei was trying desperately hard not to cry. "Didn't you just hear what I said?" she said loudly, her voice cracking like a shattering mirror. "She was making me choose between you two and Sailor Moon. She made me decide who was more important and I... And I..." She curled in on herself, entrenching her fingers in her black silk hair and yanking hard. "I'm so sorry," she whispered fiercely. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," Ami assured her, reaching forward and stroking her hands. "We told you to. We don't blame you."

Rei shook her head and kept repeating those three words like a mantra, rocking back and forth and employing every trick in the book to keep so much as one more tear from falling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Makoto looked up at Ami, her eyes wide with confusion. Finally, they both seemed to realize the truth at the same time. They might have told Rei what to do, but she had made her decision long before they got the words out.

Makoto sighed sadly, her eyes fluttering closed. Her throat started to close and her eyes burned with the knowledge, but she couldn't be angry at Rei. In the end, it didn't make that much difference, logically.

But that didn't stop Makoto's heart from breaking.

Still, she leaned forward again, wrapping Rei up in her arms and watching as Ami did the same. At first, she tried to pull away from them, spurning their comfort in the face of what she'd done. But in the end she stayed where she was, whispering the same words over and over again for the rest of the night.

She never shed a tear.

-----

"I'm telling you, I'm fine."

Normally, Mamoru wouldn't speak with nearly so much conviction because deep down, he would be completely aware that he was just living up to the old adage that doctors (or in his case, med students) made the worst patients. However, this time, he knew he was telling the truth. He certainly couldn't say that he had never felt better, but considering the circumstances, he felt remarkably well. In fact, sometimes he could almost forget that just days before there had been a danger of him needing surgery, maybe even dying.

Actually, he couldn't forget that at all, but sometimes he could force himself not to think about it.

His physician, Dr. Yakamura, heaved a long, tired sigh and literally scratched his head. "Normally, I would say you were full of it, but... I have to concur. Aside from some bumps and bruises, you seem to be fine."

Mamoru found his shoulders relaxing when the doctor confirmed his beliefs. He hadn't realized how tense he had been, how anxious he was to get out of that hospital. Of course, if the doctor knew the extent of what was going on, he couldn't have blamed Mamoru in the slightest. With two girls missing and the possibility that he might be next on the list still weighing heavily on his mind and mysterious people popping into his room in the middle of the night, he was allowed to not want to be so much of an easy target. True, he and Motoki had theorized that Mamoru really ought to have been taken first, and Motoki had nearly talked him into believing that the visitation could have been a dream. Nonetheless, it didn't make Mamoru any more inclined to be laid up in a hospital bed. As a matter of fact, he wondered if his sheer desire to get out of there had done something to speed up his healing process.

Mamoru closed his eyes, shoving those thoughts aside. If he didn't answer soon, Dr. Yakamura was going to be convinced that his head injuries really were more pronounced than they thought. "Great. So I can go now?"

He didn't respond immediately, and the hesitation made Mamoru feel ill at east. "Medically speaking? Yes." The doctor paused, his mouth twitching with worry, causing his newly grown mustache to dance across his top lip.

"You're wondering how this happened, aren't you?" Mamoru deadpanned.

The doctor snorted. "Wondering is putting it mildly," Dr. Yakamura said, shoving his hands into the deep pockets of his lab coat. He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment before saying, "I'm baffled, befuddled, bewildered, and just about any other b-word you could throw in there."

Mamoru let loose a sigh, pushing his hand through his hair and then quickly regretting it. It had been a long time since he'd had a proper shower. He removed his hand and discreetly wiped it on the sheets even though it probably wouldn't do any good. "You must know that I'm just as confused as you are."

Dr. Yakamura shook his head, tutting as if lamenting some great tragedy. "You would have gotten a lollipop if you'd been able to come up with another b-word."

Mamoru twitched. "Dr. Yakamura."

"Right, right. Well, I didn't know that actually, Mamoru. I had been wondering if you were taking some sort of..." he trailed off in search of the right terms, but Mamoru had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Well, I thought maybe you were taking some supplement that could account for this."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow and somehow managed resist the urge to laugh. "Last I checked, steroids didn't make you heal faster."

"Not to mention, you're much too placid to be on them," Dr. Yakamura added, nodding in agreement. "No, I was actually sincerely considering if you were taking some black market super-drug, but there's definitely nothing in your system that we didn't put into your body."

Mamoru stared at the doctor for a moment. For one thing, the notion that Mamoru was mixed up in anything like that was completely cracked, but for another thing, he could tell by the twinkle in Dr. Yakamura's eye that he had employed some underhanded technique to discern all that. Finally, Mamoru allowed himself a chuckle. "Unauthorized blood tests on an unsuspecting patient. You're lucky I don't have your license revoked."

Dr. Yakamura scoffed, waving his hand vaguely. "And blow your chance at residency at this hospital? Not likely." He paused, his mouth fidgeting again. Mamoru found himself wondering if it was possible for a mustache to do a rumba, but he quickly forgot about it when he heard the doctor speak.

"Honestly, Mamoru. I need to know. Are you mixed up in anything?"

Mamoru was about to respond with an absolute negative, when he rethought it. He couldn't say no in entirely good conscience after all. Yes, he was definitely in some sort of situation with Sailor Senshi breaking into his room in the middle of the night and mysterious beings bestowing unknown favors on him. The problem was that he had no idea just what he had gotten himself into or how he'd even managed to do that. And of course, he couldn't explain it to the doctor. Even trying to would result in a trip to the psych ward.

"I'm not in the Yakuza if that's what you're asking," Mamoru answered at last, knowing that this was probably what the doctor was hinting at.

Dr. Yakamara waved a hand, dismissing this assurance. "As if you'd tell me if you were."

Mamoru shrugged. "If I lose any fingers, you'll know if I was lying."

"Or I can assume you're lousy with kitchen knives," Dr. Yakamura sighed. "No matter what, you'll have your secrets. And what would Chiba Mamoru be without his secrets?"

Mamoru frowned at that statement. Dr. Yakamura had been with him since the car accident, and he was the closet thing to a father Mamoru had. Of course, in all actuality, Dr. Yakamura was more like a fun uncle who dropped into his life unexpectedly, though he always seemed to make things better. More often than not, it was actually Mamoru dropping into the hospital for a sprained ankle in soccer, a head injury from a motorcycle wipe out, or a near-death experience thanks to some love-starved aliens and their gigantic tree. Dr. Yakamura knew how many holes there were in Mamoru's past, and yet he was constantly accused of keeping secrets. Sometimes, Mamoru was tempted to reveal uncomfortably candid facts about himself just to dispel the good doctor's notions of him. Mamoru never went through with it, of course. The reward was not as good as the price he would have to pay.

Dr. Yakamura reached over and clapped him on the shoulder, a gesture of familiarity that always unnerved Mamoru. "How about next time I see you, you're in one piece?"

Mamoru arched an eyebrow and pointed at Dr. Yakamura's upper lip. "How about next time I see you, you get rid of that fuzzy caterpillar that's taken up residence on your face?"

"Ha ha," Dr. Yakamura muttered. He picked up Mamoru's chart and gave it one last glance. "Well, you're basically free to go once you get your pants on. I still don't know how you did it, kid."

Mamoru shrugged, holding off on saying something about the pants comment. "I've always been a fast healer," he commented, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Not this fast. Nobody ought to heal this quickly," Dr. Yakamura reminded him, leaning over and expertly removing Mamoru's IV and everything else he was hooked up to. That done, he pointed at Mamoru and added, "You ought to rub off some of this magic on your friend."

Mamoru blinked, pausing just before his feet were about to touch the ground. "My friend?"

"Furuhata Motoki. Came in late last night."

Mamoru felt his stomach drop through the floor and down several stories. Everything seemed to grow hazy for a minute as he tried to make sense of what the doctor just told him. Of course, there was nothing too difficult about it, but Mamoru couldn't reconcile his friend Motoki with this other Motoki that had apparently wound up in the hospital. It didn't make sense. Motoki never got sick, and he certainly never did anything stupid enough to get involved in an accident.

Finally, Mamoru managed to get his lips to cooperate somewhat. "What?" he croaked, unable to get anything other than monosyllabic words to come out of his throat for the time being.

"I don't have all the details. It's not my case," Dr. Yakamura said, flipping through Mamoru's chart even though he didn't have to anymore, a sure sign that he was avoiding eye contact. That meant that Motoki wasn't just in for an appendicitis or any other conventional ailment.

"How is he?" Mamoru forced himself to ask, dreading the answer and imagining all kinds of horrible things in the time it took the doctor to answer the question.

Dr. Yakamura reached forward and laid a hand on Mamoru's shoulder. It was meant to bring him comfort, but it really only left him feeling cold. "He's going to be just fine, Mamoru." He paused, clearing his throat. "Or so I hear anyway."

The assurance was helpful, but it wasn't good enough. Mamoru vaulted out of bed to where his clothes were, pulling them on as quickly as he could in spite of how his muscles cried out in protest. He was better, but he was hardly fully healed. He could tell he was going to be sore for about another week, and there was no telling how long his bruises would stay. But he didn't have time for caution when his best friend was lying in a hospital bed, knocked down from God only knew what.

"Don't throw your back out getting your pants on," Dr. Yakamura advised gruffly.

"I have to see--"

"I know, I know," Dr. Yakamura said calmly, obviously trying to inject some of that serenity into Mamoru's veins. It wasn't working. "I'll take care of your discharge papers if you promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Mamoru asked, not paying much attention as he struggled with his belt.

"Next time I see you, don't come in on a stretcher."

Mamoru looked up from his panicked state, staring at the doctor. It was rare when the jokes stopped and sincerity shown through, and Mamoru was not foolish enough to let the moment pass without acknowledgment. He smiled and nodded, regarding the man he could credit with saving his life twice now with an admiration that soothed his anxiety for the time being. "I promise, Doctor."

"I'll hold you to it," Dr. Yakamura said, giving him a small wave. Then without so much as a formal goodbye, Dr. Yakamura was gone. Mamoru knew with certainty that he would not say hello when they met again, even though he had promised to be conscious and relatively healthy when that happened.

For some reason, Mamoru felt uneasy about his promise. He almost felt like it was going to be a hard one to keep.

-----

Beruche had been up with Karaberas most of the night. She had never been worried that the woman would pull through; Karaberas was rather similar to a cockroach in that respect. It was nigh impossible to actually kill her. But the amount of damage had been rather extensive, and it had taken a great deal of time to even begin to set her on the path towards getting well. Finally, after using an impossible amount of bandages, salve, and sedatives, Beruche could sit back and relax for a moment.

And of course, Petz chose that exact moment to appear.

Beruche glanced at her coolly, pursing her lips. "If you've come to kick her while she's down, you'll be wasting your time. She's out of commission for awhile."

Petz sniffed and folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the wall. "It's just like you to assume the worst of me."

"The worst is usually true for you," Beruche countered, gathering up the remaining scraps to be thrown away in her arms. "Especially when it comes to Karaberas."

Beruche could feel Petz scowling at her, but she didn't turn around to acknowledge the look. It was unsettling of course because Petz was more powerful than her and probably wasn't exaggerating by much when she said she could obliterate Beruche given enough time. But if Beruche had learned one thing from living with her sisters, she knew that she couldn't give them the slightest indication that they bothered her. Cooan did, and look how much trouble she had to put up with.

"I came here because I thought you'd want to know what all that shrieking was about last night," Petz said finally.

Beruche laughed. "I assumed that either you or Cooan went against orders and tried to drag Sailor Moon's name out of our guests." She glanced over her shoulder as she finished clearing away the mess and smiled. "I take it wasn't you then."

Petz curled her lip. "As if I'd be stupid enough to go against orders. Cooan's lucky Master Rubeus didn't cite her for insubordination."

"Why did you think I needed to know this exactly?" Beruche asked suddenly. She had no patience to deal with Petz's ranting that day. She was tired and she wanted to sleep, and if she let Petz go on, it was never going to happen.

Petz just stared. "I thought you'd want to--"

"Since when have you ever given any consideration to if I'm kept up on events?" Beruche interrupted. "More importantly, I heard the screams. Everyone heard the screams, and we all knew who was making them. It wouldn't take someone like Saffir--"

"I just thought you'd want to know what a fool your little sister is!" Petz yelled, the vein on the side of her neck bulging a bit.

Beruche narrowed her eyes, curious as to why Petz had exploded like that. It took her a moment to realize her misstep in mentioning the prince's brother. Perhaps on another day, she would have apologized for her insensitivity. That morning, Beruche was quite sure she couldn't have cared less. "I've been aware for some time, Petz. I suppose it's the price of being the youngest."

"You never had that problem," Petz grumbled, perhaps a bit bitterly.

Beruche smiled widely, shutting her eyes. "That's because I'm a prodigy, remember?"

Petz snorted, tossing her hair a bit. "A prodigy. Right. A little luck at chess, and everyone thinks you're a genius."

Beruche shook her head, clicking her tongue. "You're just upset because you were no good at it. But look at it this way, Petz. No one can make small children cry quite like you do." She covered her mouth, giggling at her own joke, which she was certain would have been just as funny if she hadn't been so exhausted.

Petz practically snarled at her in response. "Fine. I don't know why I thought it was so important to talk to you anyway. I'm leaving. Have fun with your patient." She spun around and started to slink out of the room, her back still tight with anxiety.

Beruche sighed, dabbing at her eyes with her fingertips. "Just one more thing, Petz."

The older woman looked over her shoulder, looking vaguely curious as to why Beruche would have stopped her. "Eh?"

Beruche smiled knowingly, gesturing smoothly at Karaberas's bed. "If you wanted to see how she was doing, you didn't have to make up such a ridiculous excuse."

Petz's face darkened to a shade Beruche identified as almost that of an eggplant. "Like I care how that stupid--"

"Whatever," Beruche said cheerfully, waving at her sister. "Good night, Petz!" With that, she had no more reason to stick around, so she teleported back to her room, prepared to have a good, long nap before Karaberas was due to awaken. And though she normally would have been irritated with Petz for putting off her sleep, Beruche decided it had all be worth it for that look on her older sister's face.

-----

As it turned out, Dr. Yakamura hadn't been able to handle as much of Mamoru's discharge as either of them would have liked. Mamoru's signature was needed on an insurmountable amount of paperwork, and every person he met during the process seemed to think his discharge was some sort of clerical error. Finally, he'd asked to sign something that would waive the hospital's liability should something horrible happen to him, and that had sped everything up a great deal. Eventually, Mamoru was able to get himself checked out and find out where Motoki had been taken. Mamoru felt a considerable amount of relief when he found out that the Intensive Care Unit was not involved.

Upon finding out Motoki's room number, Mamoru had quite literally sprinted to get there. His lungs were not happy about it, particularly since he had indulged in coughing fits just by laughing too much just days earlier. Nevertheless, he made it there without feeling as if he was going to pass out, although his legs throbbed.

Mamoru barely managed to stop himself by grabbing on to the door's molding, calling out, "Motoki!"

Motoki looked up from his magazine, bandages wound around his head so that he looked like a parody of a wounded soldier. He smiled at Mamoru wryly, recognizing and reveling in his obvious concern. "You are so lucky I wasn't sleeping, Chiba. If I had been woken up, I would have kicked your invalid ass." He paused, the evidence before him slowly clicking into place. "Which appears to not be so invalid. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Mamoru shook his head and strode in. "No, I got released."

"Released?!" Motoki yelled, his pale skin turning pink. "Are your doctors sane? Were they even doctors?"

Mamoru sighed, long since tired of this line of questioning. "Motoki, I'm fine. You're the one in the hospital bed now." He sat down in the chair positioned next to the bed, scooting it closer to Motoki as if any distance between the two could result in catastrophe.

"Only until the end of the day," Motoki assured, taking pity on him at last. For whatever reason, it didn't bring Mamoru all that much comfort. "They wanted to keep me for observation as they like to say." Motoki rolled his eyes. "Promise me that when we are both the best doctors this hospital has to offer, that you will hit me every time I say that."

Mamoru nodded dumbly. "Yeah, fine. Whatever." He took a breath and looked up at Motoki's head, craning his neck to see the back of it. He studied how the bandage had been wrapped, and found that there wasn't much he could have done to improve it. He also saw that there were some blood stains, though Mamoru was willing to bet that they had been much worse to begin with. He swallowed and looked away, damning his own stupid curiosity. "Motoki, what happened?"

Motoki opened his mouth and then promptly closed it again. After giving the question another moment's consideration, he frowned. "You know, I'm not entirely sure myself."

Mamoru had never had any patience with anyone else being vague. He preferred to deal in specifics as long as they weren't specifics about himself, and Motoki dodging the question like that did nothing to soothe his already foul mood. He hunched his back and snapped, "Motoki, don't--"

"All right, calm down," Motoki insisted, waving his hands around. It took Mamoru a moment to see that he was wincing in pain. "Not so loud, all right?"

"Fine, fine," Mamoru grumbled, looking away again and feeling unreasonably guilty.

Motoki waited a moment before nodding. "There's not much to tell I suppose. Long story short, Minako apparently fell asleep at the Crown yesterday and didn't wake up until I was about to close. It was past her curfew, and she needed to get going, but I insisted on walking her home."

"How gallant of you," Mamoru drawled, wondering if this was the sort of thing he was supposed to tell Reika about.

Sensing the underlying themes of the statement, Motoki glared. "It wasn't like that. I just thought it was... dangerous for her to be out alone." He paused, the lines of his jaw sharpening. He seemed to chew on the inside of his mouth for a minute, no doubt engaging in some inner dialogue Mamoru wasn't privy to. He was just about to demand that Motoki spit it out when he did.

"Makoto got taken too, you know."

Mamoru felt the blood in his face pool somewhere around his ankles. His heart rate slowed and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He didn't know what he had been expecting Motoki to say, but it certainly wasn't that. "She was the third victim?"

Motoki nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "She's been missing for a few days now," he sighed angrily, his limbs getting tense. "The police still aren't willing to make if official from what I understand, but her apartment's empty and no one's heard from her."

Mamoru ran his hands down his face, the gravity of the situation bearing down on him like a building he was meant to keep upright all on his own. "That means Rei, Ami, and Makoto were all..." he trailed off, further panic setting in. He glanced up, blue eyes narrowed with intent. "What about Minako?"

Motoki shook his head, shrugging his shoulders as if he was at a loss. "That's where the story gets weird. Turns out my hunch about walking her home was right. We hadn't been out ten minutes when this strange woman showed up out of nowhere and threatened her. I wasn't about to let her get kidnapped too, so I--"

"Did something incredibly stupid that resulted in you getting a nasty head wound," Mamoru finished dryly, raking a hand through his dirty hair. He screwed up his face in disgust at making the same mistake twice in two hours. "Brilliant, Motoki."

Motoki obviously didn't appreciate the criticism. He scowled and leaned forward, his voice harsher than Mamoru was used to hearing from him. "And what was I supposed to do? Wave good-bye while she was dragged off to God-knows-where to be beaten or... worse?"

Mamoru didn't want to think about what Motoki exactly meant by worse, but he had a feeling that it wasn't limited to death. Mamoru swallowed uncomfortably and hung his head. "I know, Motoki. I didn't mean that, but... I don't exactly enjoy seeing you here. You know?"

"I have some idea," Motoki muttered.

Mamoru winced, the unreasonable guilt multiplying. "I meant--"

"Forget it," Motoki said easily, as if that were something he could easily do. It was at that moment that Mamoru realized the terrible irony of the situation. Motoki could embody forgiving and forgetting, yet Mamoru seemed to cling to the memories he would rather fade. And then the things he wanted so desperately to remember eluded him like diamond dust scattered on ordinary sand.

"Yeah," Mamoru whispered hoarsely. "Is Minako all right?"

Motoki hesitated again, casting his eyes over to the window as he considered the query. "That depends on your definition of all right."

Mamoru frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Well, for one thing, I didn't just wake her up at the arcade. The only reason I found her was because she was practically screaming thanks to some nightmare," Motoki began at length.

Mamoru nodded slowly. "Three of her friends kidnapped? I don't blame her for having nightmares."

"Then there was the thing where she basically said I was a dead man if I didn't stop asking her questions," Motoki continued dryly. "That, I found a bit odd."

Mamoru straightened, certain that this news signaled the end of the world or some other ridiculous catastrophe he never would have seen coming otherwise. "She threatened you? Minako?"

Motoki shook his head, cracking his knuckles. "No, she warned me. Which is just as weird, if not weirder." He leaned back against his pillows, the effort of telling this story obviously wearing him out. "I was just trying to figure out what was going on. I mean, three people I know are gone, and there was a possibility you were involved and... I couldn't just not ask."

Mamoru squeezed his eyes shut, the unreasonable guilt now completely out of control. Logically, he knew he couldn't have fixed this, but at the same time, he couldn't get over the fact that if he hadn't been lying in bed, he might have been able to do something. More importantly, if he hadn't been so sick, Motoki wouldn't have been so worried about him, and then maybe he wouldn't have been so determined to follow Minako home that night. Of course, that might also mean that Minako would have joined the other girls, but Mamoru had a very hard time caring about her in the face of Motoki's injuries.

"What did she say?" Mamoru asked, running a hand down his face.

When Motoki didn't respond immediately, Mamoru wondered if he had fallen asleep. It wouldn't have been the first time it had happened, head wound or not. But when he glanced up, he saw that Motoki's eyes were wide open, perhaps wider than Mamoru could ever remember seeing them.

"She said she wasn't going to let me die," Motoki said softly, the shake in his voice unmistakable and making Mamoru feel sick. "And that's when I knew she wasn't exaggerating. I needed to back off or something bad was going to happen."

Mamoru exhaled sharply, lacing his fingers at the back of his neck. He shut his eyes so that he could think without being seized by his emotion. He needed to consider things logically and without distraction. He was an intellectual creature, and he was not going to let the uncomfortable feelings in his chest and stomach cripple him.

He couldn't believe it. Three of Usagi's friends had been kidnapped, and Minako had nearly joined them. On top of that, Minako, who before that morning, Mamoru would have thought didn't actually have a serious thought in her head, had said all of that. It didn't make sense; none of this was making sense.

However, one thing was for certain. He didn't know what was going on, but it seemed almost certain that Usagi was involved. He'd always regarded her as the epicenter to their strange clique, sensing that without Usagi, the whole group would implode. Whatever was going on, he felt positive that it had something to do with her. At the very least, she had to know what was going on. It would certainly explain her weird behavior in his room a few days before.

It really only left him with one option.

"You going to be all right?" Mamoru asked finally, letting his arms drop to his sides.

Motoki nodded, smiling a bit. He wasn't really cheerful, but he knew Mamoru well enough to knew that he had to fake it for a little while. "Like I said. Just here for observation, remember?" He paused. "If hitting doesn't work, resort to kicking. Keep those soccer muscles in shape."

Mamoru ignored Motoki's teasing and got to his feet. "All right. I'll try to stop by again later before they discharge you. Drive you home since your parents are out of town." He lifted his hand, considering whether or not he should rest it on his friend's shoulder. The gesture would have been easy enough for Motoki or Dr. Yakamura to make, but it was different for Mamoru. Familiarity in any form was.

Eventually, he simply waved feebly and turned around, walking out of the room. "See you later."

"Where are you going?" Motoki called after him.

Absurdly, Mamoru found himself smiling a bit when he voiced the answer. "I need to see a girl about a disaster."

-----

Like so many other mornings, Usagi spent the majority of that one in bed.

She knew her mother must think she was becoming clinically depressed, but Usagi didn't have the energy to tell her not to worry. She was too consumed with her own problems to circumvent anything, but the minute she was confronted with the accusation, she'd take the time to head them off. But for the time being, Usagi did not want to do anything but sit around and wallow.

Luna probably thought she was pathetic for doing that, but Usagi didn't care.

As if losing Mamoru weren't bad enough, it looked like she'd lost Minako too. Their fight the night before seemed to signal the end of their friendship for Usagi. Even when she'd tried to make things better, they both had only made it worse. They just couldn't get past their issues and try to keep going. The feud continued even when they didn't have any allies.

Usagi had no idea how Minako was doing it. Even though she'd basically been on her own except for Artemis, she seemed to be able to keep up appearances. When Usagi looked at her, it didn't seem like she was a girl on the verge of breaking. She was upset; Usagi knew that. But Minako seemed so together in spite of everything that was happening, an adjective that seemed odd considering how scattered and frantic Minako usually acted.

Yet the fact remained that Minako was far more equipped to handle being on her own, whereas Usagi knew she herself couldn't take it. Perhaps that was why Minako had refused to relent in the argument; she knew she could survive without Usagi.

Of course, that didn't explain why Usagi couldn't let go.

The pull towards Mamoru was so strong. She might not have been able to remember specific incidents from their former life, but she remembered how Endymion had made her feel. He made her complete, and he made her feel like she could face anything so long as he was there. He made her blissfully happy, like she was constantly intoxicated, and she wasn't willing to give that up before she'd had a chance to really experience it. She loved him, and she wasn't going to give him up.

She'd always thought that she'd sacrifice anything for his sake. She'd just never realized exactly what that meant.

Usagi began to curl in on herself for another good crying jag when she heard the phone ring. She sat up a bit, wondering if maybe it was Minako calling to patch things up. Her heart skipped a beat when her mother opened the door to her room, the receiver muffled against her blouse.

"Usagi, it's for you," Ikuko said softly.

"Who is it?" Usagi asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Ikuko shrugged and handed her the phone. "He didn't say."

Usagi felt her stomach do a gymnastics routine underneath her skin. It was a guy? What guy did she know that would actually give her a phone call? Umino and her didn't talk much one-on-one since he had started dating Naru, and it certainly wasn't going to be Seijuurou anymore. She knew who she wanted it to be, but it was dangerous to hope for that.

She took a deep breath and shooed her mother away, bringing the receiver up to her ear. She exhaled and said, "Hello?"

"Odango? Is that you?"

Her knees went a bit wobbly, and Usagi was immensely grateful for the wall behind her. It was now the only thing keeping her upright. "Mamoru! It is you. I was hoping..." she trailed off, deciding it was better not to go down that road just yet. "Sorry. I'm just babbling. What are you calling about?"

Mamoru cleared his throat, hesitating. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night with Minako."

Usagi's heart skipped a beat. "How do you know about that?"

He made some strange noises on the other end of the phone, like he was starting about three sentences at once and didn't know which one to actually use. Finally, he forced out, "Motoki's in the hospital."

Usagi covered her mouth in shock. Motoki. He'd been hurt, but Usagi had been so caught up in her own life that she'd barely given it a second thought. She felt horrible for just forgetting about it like that, the boy she called her big brother for fun. She should have been more considerate of him and found out what happened after she ran off.

Unfortunately, that would have meant talking to Minako, which presented a rather insurmountable problem.

Usagi exhaled, entwining her bangs between her fingers. "Is he all right?"

"Thankfully," Mamoru sighed, obviously upset. "Listen, Usagi. I don't know what's going on with you and the other girls, but I'm afraid that... that it has something to do with me."

Usagi's grip on the phone tightened so much that the plastic creaked between her fingers. "You do? Mamoru, have you--"

"I need to talk to you," Mamoru said hurriedly. "Not on the phone."

Usagi felt dizzy with the speed things were being thrown at her. But she knew she didn't have time to waste getting her footing, so she nodded, her mouth dry. "Where are you?"

After agreeing to meet at a certain spot in the park, Usagi rushed out into the hallway and hung up the phone, her hands shaking. He wanted to meet with her to talk about the fights. He thought that he was involved somehow. He was worried. It could only mean one thing.

Mamoru was remembering.

Usagi could hardly contain her excitement. The process was going a great deal slower than she would have liked, but she didn't care. It was starting at last. With her guidance, he'd realize everything soon enough, and then he would be her Mamoru again. More importantly, he would be Tuxedo Kamen again, and perhaps with his help, she and Minako would be able to do something to help the other girls.

Usagi jumped up and down and then rushed off, barely managing to keep her balance on the stairs. She had to hurry to meet with Mamoru. He wasn't going anywhere, and he would probably wait for any amount of time, but this was one meeting Usagi did not want to be late for.

-----

"So you still haven't been able to find out who Sailor Moon is in this time?" Rubeus asked through gritted teeth.

The holographic image of the Wiseman shook his head - or the hood of the cape where Rubeus assumed his head was at any rate. He'd contacted Wiseman directly after the troublesome Cooan incident, demanding that he and Saffir figure out the identity of Sailor Moon. He'd gotten impatient several minutes before and called on Wiseman, not necessarily expecting a name, but expecting at least some indication that there were promising leads. Wiseman couldn't even give him that much.

"I'm afraid not," he said, his voice rushing out of his mouth like a rattling hiss, rushing wind and creaking doors. Talking with Wiseman always left Rubeus feeling that cobwebs were gathering in his mouth. "For whatever reason, her name is proving to be more difficult to uncover than the others."

Rubeus paced the length of the main chamber, gesturing sharply. "But that doesn't make any sense! We know the identities of her four guardians. Finding Sailor Moon's shouldn't be that difficult with that information at our fingers."

"It is puzzling," the Wiseman admitted darkly. "Saffir and I have been employing all of our usual methods. Thus far, none of them have been fruitful."

"Well, why don't you try methods that aren't so common?" Rubeus snapped, turning on his heel.

He could feel Wiseman reacting to his statement. It was strange. No one had ever seen his face, and his eyes were about as expressive as a couple of light bulbs, but no one could ever claim to be unsure of what his mood was. Sometimes Rubeus thought it felt like a chill seeping into his chest. Other times it felt more like he was choking. Perhaps it depended on just how angry Wiseman became.

"You only just put forth this request last night, Rubeus," the Wiseman reminded him, his voice low.

"I'm aware of that," Rubeus said quickly.

Wiseman moved his hands gracefully around the sphere floating between his fingers. Strange, how the movement could suddenly turn sinister even though he never really stopped doing it. "Then perhaps you ought to be more understanding of our situation."

If there had been anything around for Rubeus to throw, he would have pitched it at one of those damn mirrors. If he couldn't break any heads at the moment, shattering the glass would have felt immensely satisfying. "Why aren't you and Saffir more understanding of our position? I can't go into another battle without having any idea who she is. I want us to be able to take her off guard rather than have her swoop in and ruin pre-laid plans."

Rubeus cut himself off, realizing that he was dangerously close to whining. He was not the sort of man who complained in such a manner. However, he couldn't get over the fact that he wanted to break someone's bones over this ridiculous mystery. As usual, he found himself longing to take out his frustrations on their forced passengers. Spilling Jupiter's blood had felt good, like a release long in coming, but there was no way he could lay a hand on any of them after Cooan's breakdown the night before.

He curled his hand into a fist, wishing he could actually punish her for that stupidity as he would have liked. But she was too important in his plans for any of that, so he would have to sit on his hands and let her torture herself in the aftermath. It wasn't how he liked to handle things, but he knew that in this case,  
it was all he could do.

"I understand your frustration, Rubeus," the Wiseman croaked, his sinister voice sounding strangely comforting. "But you must learn patience."

"Patience can be deadly," Rubeus said gravely.

The Wiseman made a noise of disgust, his fingers momentarily going rigid. "I can see that there's no getting through to you on this matter. However, I will give you one suggestion."

Rubeus looked over his shoulder, intrigued. "What's that?"

"You know the identity of Sailor Venus for certain," the Wiseman said with some caution, but not enough for it to be a question.

Rubeus narrowed his eyes, remembering the looks on the other Senshi's faces when he had said the name Aino Minako. If he had any doubts as to the identity of Sailor Venus, they had been erased with that gesture. And he was glad of it too. Cooan might have wanted hers and Sailor Moon's blood after what had been to Karaberas, but Rubeus had a very personal reason for wanting vengeance on the golden soldier.

His fingers curled into a fist at the thought of that particular incident. "Positive."

"Then have one of your… subordinates trail her," the Wiseman said with a chuckle. "She will lead you to Sailor Moon eventually."

Rubeus narrowed his eyes. "I'm not certain that will work, Wiseman. From what Karaberas said, the two aren't exactly on speaking terms."

Wiseman let out a loud bark, making Rubeus look up sharply. "Don't be a fool, Rubeus. Even if they do not get along, you of all people ought to be familiar with Venus's character. She will stay at her friend's side with or without her knowledge, especially when she is being threatened on a daily basis."

Rubeus raised an eyebrow, considering this. Yes, that did sound like something Venus or any of the other Senshi in her position would have done. "Perhaps I will take you up on that suggestion, Wiseman."

"See that you do," Wiseman finished as his form began to flicker out of existence. "Prince Demando is getting very impatient."

Rubeus turned around just in time to see the Wiseman make his exit. He frowned and clenched his jaw. He had a reputation for being ruthless. He knew that even the four Akayashi Sisters feared him on some level, and although Esmeraude took pleasure in taunting him, she knew better than to take it too far. But the only one in their entourage who had never shown even the slightest bit of worry in his eyes was the prince. Rubeus knew why.

He shook his head sharply. He was not going to be caught unawares. He was going to defeat Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus no matter what it took.

"Beruche!" Rubeus barked. "Get down here." He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his lips. "You're going hunting."

-----

Petz narrowed her eyes at Rubeus's words and let out a quiet snarl. She had no interest in watching the ensuing scene, so she quickly turned on her heel and stalked off, taking care that her heels didn't send echoes all around the chamber.

It wasn't fair. Rubeus and Beruche never saw eye to eye on matters; she was just too smart to verbally challenge him and risk her neck. But Rubeus knew Beruche had a lower opinion of him than the other sisters. He also knew that she wasn't nearly as skilled or as ruthless as the others, and especially Petz.

But he'd still selected her.

Petz knew why. Karaberas might have been the one to receive the reprimand, but Petz still could not be forgiven for not being able to take Jupiter in the first place. She should not have given Karaberas time to intervene, and she should have done something more to prove herself in the interim. Rubeus wasn't going to give her the chance. She was going to have to take it herself.

Petz lashed out and pummeled the side of her fist into a wall, feeling a tiny amount of satisfaction at the way it shuddered beneath her strength. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity until it ached pleasantly. Then she exhaled sharply, nostrils flaring like the bull about to charge.

She couldn't let this go by. Rubeus hadn't called her out specifically to punish her. She wouldn't be surprised if he knew that she'd been watching Wiseman and him commiserate in the shadows. They were all familiar with how things worked on Nemesis. No one was given any real chances; opportunities had to be seized. Birth and luck might have played a hand in why King Endymion and his heavenly consort ascended the throne, but there were no such privileges in their world. Position was not given, but it wasn't earned or won either. It was taken with snatching fingers and bloody consciences. And it was never kept idly.

Petz narrowed her eyes, her fingers twitching inside her leather gloves. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. There was one person who had been given his position and who relied on other people to keep it. A short time ago, she'd cared for that person, perhaps more so than she was allowed. But even if it had only been a few weeks, it felt like ages with all that had changed between them. Now she couldn't stand to think or hear his name, and so much as mentioning him left her consumed by her own bitterness and choking on her pain.

She shook her head harshly. Now wasn't the time to think of him; there was never a time to think of him. Not anymore.

Although, perhaps he was partially to blame for her downfall. It was possible that she had been too distracted to maintain her position, although clearly, she had gotten far too lax as the eldest sister and leader of the Akayashi Sisters. She had always assumed that she would be the favored by Rubeus and feared by the others. But the last scene had demonstrated that Rubeus no longer trusted her to fulfill his larger plans, and her sisters had grown increasingly difficult to control.

Of course, she'd never been able to make Karaberas listen. Knowing that should have made Petz watch her closely, but she'd let her temper and her resentment blind her to her younger sister's plots. She'd been outdone, and not even the satisfaction of seeing the girl near death had satisfied her.

The only way Petz was going to be satisfied was with snatching fingers and a bloody conscience. She'd claw her way back to the top and knock any obstacles that presented themselves to the ground.

Including Beruche.

-----

Mamoru was not like Motoki; he wasn't genetically predisposed to worrying. He was not the type to concern himself with other people's well-being, certain that people were more than capable of taking care of themselves. However, he had been waiting at the designated spot for over fifteen minutes, and even though he knew that Usagi was never on time for anything, he found he was starting to get worried. After all, Usagi wasn't the sort of person who could take care of herself. People always took care of her, whether it was Motoki or one of the girls or her parents. There was always someone watching out for her. He had even taken up that cause at Natsumi and Seijuurou's apartment, and he was starting to berate himself for ever laying it down.

He was just about to go back to the payphone and find Usagi's home address along with her number when she finally rounded the corner. He watched her face brighten, something that he found filled him with relief more easily than it probably should have. She ran forward to meet him, stopping just a few feet away from him, her toes pointing straight to his own.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright.

"Hey," Mamoru said, sparing her a reassuring smile. "How are you doing?"

Usagi's smile wavered, but she did her best not to lose it entirely. He was struck by the fact that she and Motoki really did have a lot in common. They were both keeping up appearances for his sake, when they were the ones allowed to show that they were falling apart. "Not so great, but I think things might be taking a turn for the better soon." He noticed the flush in her cheeks seemed to darken just then, but he didn't have the time or patience to analyze it. "What about you? You're out of the hospital pretty fast."

Mamoru laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. The doctors don't know what to make of it."

Usagi shrugged, chewing on her bottom lip. "Guess you're just a fast healer."

"That's what I said," Mamoru said, happy that he didn't have to insist upon that twenty times for her benefit. The tiny amount of joy quickly faded, however, when he remembered why they were there. He looked down into her eyes and marveled at how completely guileless she seemed. It was hard for him to believe that she could really know anything about what was going on. Then again, he'd thought the same thing about Minako, although admittedly he didn't know her that well. And after hearing Motoki's story and giving the whole scenario about three seconds of thought, he couldn't ignore the possibility - no, the certainty - that Usagi was involved and that she knew what was going on.

He couldn't, but part of him wanted to.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Usagi asked, wringing her fingers nervously.

Mamoru nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I need to talk to you about what's been happening with Rei and the others."

"Why?" she asked a bit too loudly. "Do you know something?"

Mamoru blinked. "No, of course not. Why would I--" He paused, softening when he saw her start to wince. He held up his hands, a gesture of understanding. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that."

Usagi shook her head, quickly recovering. "No, it's fine. It was stupid of me to ask anyway." She fidgeted for a minute, possibly waiting for him to continue. Just when he was about to, she exhaled and looked up at his face intently. "Can I ask you something before we get into that?"

"Sure," Mamoru answered, almost happy for the temporary reprieve.

Usagi nodded, licking her lips and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Have you been having any... weird dreams recently?"

Anything Mamoru had been about to say went out the window. He gaped at her openly and took a step forward, hoping that his lungs stopped constricting and that his blood slowed. "How do you know about that?"

Usagi leaned back slightly, looking nervous. "I was just wondering."

"No, you weren't," Mamoru said quickly. Part of him knew he shouldn't be so rough with her, but he couldn't help it. Motoki was in the hospital, and for all he knew, he himself was in danger. He didn't have time to think of her fragility. "You had no reason to bring that up. So you had to have known that I was seeing things before you asked me that. I want to know how you know about that... dream, vision, or whatever it was."

Usagi swallowed, looking as though she deeply regretted bringing it up. "I don't know anything like that, Mamoru. I just assumed that if you were remembering stuff and that you'd be--"

"Remembering?" Mamoru interrupted. "Remembering what?"

Usagi stared at him for a moment, and then he watched as her face slowly fell as if was being pulled down by invisible fingers. It only stopped when it reached her shoulders, which drooped under the weight of her obvious disappointment. "Then you haven't been getting any of your memories back?"

Mamoru froze, completely blown away. How did she know anything about his amnesia? Motoki was the only person outside of the doctors at the hospital and the people at the orphanage who knew about that. The only way she could have found out was to ask Motoki, which was ridiculous because he would never throw out details about Mamoru's personal life like that, or investigate him on her own.

"This doesn't have anything to do with my memory," he said brusquely.

Usagi looked positively devastated by that news. "Oh," she whispered.

He almost asked if she was all right, but now he was annoyed with her. "I came to talk to you about what Minako said to Motoki."

Usagi flinched as if he'd just poked a slowly healing bruise. "Minako and I haven't really been..."

She was having a hard time coming up with exactly what she wanted to say, and Mamoru wasn't willing to let her take the time to come up with the answer. "When he tried to ask her about what was happening with you and the others, she told him that he was in danger."

Usagi paled. "Oh, no," she whispered. "Oh, Minako, why did you--"

"She said that he could die!" Mamoru said, his voice rising. "And I want to know what she meant by that."

Usagi shook her head, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, Mamoru. Minako shouldn't have said it like that, but I think... She was only trying to keep him safe."

"Safe from what?" Mamoru asked, gesturing wildly. "Usagi, what the hell is going on? Everything has just… gone to shit. Three of your friends are missing. Minako and Motoki were attacked last night. And frankly, you don't seem to be acting as shocked as I think someone would be in this situation if they didn't have some idea as to who was behind it all." He paused, taking another step forward. "Something is happening with you girls, and I have to know... Does it have anything to do with what happened at Natsumi and Seijuurou's apartment?"

Usagi blinked and straightened for a moment. She gaped at him for a minute, and Mamoru was certain at that moment that he had been completely off. "This isn't because of what happened that day, Mamoru. You might not believe me, but I'm really not sure why this is happening." Her voice cracked, and she closed her eyes to try to stop the tears from flowing. It wasn't working that well. "I just know that my friends and I are being targeted by these Black Moon people, and I--"

"Black Moon?" Mamoru interrupted, staunchly ignoring her tears. "What is that? Some sort of gang?"

Usagi snorted, swiping at her nose with her sleeve. "Something like that I think." She shook her head. "Look, that doesn't matter. Motoki doesn't have to worry about getting hurt anymore. What happened with Minako... No one's going to go after him. He isn't involved."

Mamoru looked at her for a few moments, the question poised in his throat. He was just having trouble forcing it out into the open for he feared he already knew the answer. Finally, he swallowed hard and forced his mouth to speak, although his voice came out in nothing more than a whisper. "Am I involved?"

Usagi looked grave when she answered, although to her credit, she didn't allow a long pause to linger between them. "I'm not sure." She gave him a watery smile, swallowing nervously. "You used to be."

"Why do you keep saying things like that?" Mamoru demanded in a hiss. "You say I forgot something; you say I used to do something. What? What is so important that you keep--"

"You loved me once," Usagi interrupted loudly, meeting his gaze directly. Her eyes felt like a wall he'd crashed into, bringing all of his words and his hopes that he was wrong to a halt, scattering them across the pavement. She obviously noticed his reaction, but she kept going, silently insisting that he needed to hear all of this. "You loved me, and that used to be important. People died for it; people killed for it. Our friends got hurt, and we lost our homes... But we got a second chance, and we tried to make it right again. We fought to make it right again." She paused, exhaling. "That's what you've forgotten."

Mamoru stared at her, completely at a loss. On any other day, he probably would have assumed that she'd finally lost it, but knowing all that he did about the situation with the other girls along with this Black Moon business, he couldn't help but think that she was serious about this. More importantly, a part of him thought she might have been right.

"You don't believe me," she said sadly, her gaze drifting to the ground. "I knew you wouldn't."

"It's not the sort of thing that's easy to believe," he countered quietly. "How could I have forgotten something like that?"

She reached forward and grabbed his hand, yet another gesture that made him feel extremely uncomfortable. She took a deep breath, and he found himself taking it with her, steeling himself for whatever she was about to tell him. "Because you died, Mamoru."

He just looked at her, feeling utterly numb. How could he hear anything like that and not feel voided? Then again, part of him thought he was more likely to laugh at her and tell her she was dreaming things. Yes, that was what he would usually do.

But something about this just didn't strike him as funny.

"We all did," Usagi continued. "But you... You sacrificed yourself for me, and I made a wish, so we all got to come back again. A third chance, I guess." She looked down, her face looking like a lost child's. "But we all forgot it again. Then things got bad, and I had to remember. Then all the girls remembered, and we..." She grabbed his other hand and held on so tightly that it hurt. "I tried to make you remember, Mamoru. I really did. So many times and so many ways, but nothing I did worked. And then when you protected me during up there at the apartment, I thought for sure that you were going to remember and that we could be together again."

"But I didn't," Mamoru said, marveling at how he almost found himself buying into what she was saying.

"No," Usagi murmured. "And I wanted so badly to keep trying, but... Rei, Ami, and Makoto were taken, and Minako said all of these horrible things about you, and I... I just haven't known what to do or who to go to. Even Luna's not speaking to me anymore!"

Mamoru somehow resisted the urge to point out that her cat probably wasn't speaking to her at all in the first place. "If what you say is true, then why don't I remember along with the rest of you?"

"Nobody knows," Usagi confessed. "Ami was researching it for awhile, but so many other things happened. And then she got kidnapped, so..." She tugged his arms anxiously. "But we'll be able to figure it out! We'll get Ami and the others back here, and then she'll find out what went wrong and we can fix it." She smiled at him so desperately that his chest ached in sympathy. "But it'll be all right now because even if you don't remember exactly, you know, and that makes it better. Doesn't it?"

Mamoru shook his head, trying desperately to make sense of all this information in his head. "Usagi, I don't--"

"You won't leave again, will you, Mamoru?" Usagi asked quietly. "I know you probably want to. This is scary, and just because you stayed to help me before doesn't mean that you will now. But I really need you here because you're the only one left. Minako hates me and Artemis will stay with her and Luna's angry and the others... I just hate being alone so much, and I don't think I could take it if you went away after all of this."

Mamoru looked down at her, his mind blank. "Why would it matter so much to you?"

Usagi laughed pathetically, two tears making their way down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky, a strange smile crossing her face. He was so struck by the oddness of her expression that he almost missed what she had to say. Almost.

"Because I love you, idiot."

-----

Minako let out a long sigh when she heard Usagi finally get to the point. She had known it was coming, and part of her had been tempted to burst out and stop it. Instead she had stayed hidden behind the tree, her fingers scraping against the bark from the effort it took to hold her there.

She wished that she could say that she knew for certain what would happen now. Being sure of Mamoru's impending mistakes would have made all of this much easier. Yet, as much as she played the pessimist and expected nothing but heartache from this scenario, a part of her thought there might have been a chance for them. If Mamoru was a good man, then one look at Usagi's face, so open and easily breakable should have been enough to hold him there. Maybe this was what he needed to jog his memory: a vague summary of events. Maybe now it would all come flooding back, and maybe he would remember loving her. It might even lead to them falling in love again.

But there was a great deal of uncertainty, and Minako knew that if Usagi lost Mamoru again, she might not be able to hold on to herself. That was why she spoke out against it. That's why she prepared her for the worst.

Minako suddenly found herself wishing Rei was with her. This was normally the sort of thing she did, and the Senshi of Fire was much better at it.

She shook her head and peeked around the trunk once more to get a look at the scene. Mamoru still hadn't said anything. For once, Minako couldn't blame him. With all that had been thrown at him, she would have been annoyed if he were readily prepared with an answer. But the expression he wore now, dejected and lost and clearly wanting nothing more than to collapse on the ground until the world stopped moving, was almost enough to move her. She would have pitied him if Usagi hadn't been more important.

"Well, well, who are we spying on today... little Venus?"

Minako's eyes widened in panic. Without bothering to turn around, she dove forward, rolling once she hit the ground. It was murder on her back and the rest of her body, which hadn't had nearly enough time to recover from Karaberas's assault, but she did her best not to think about it. There wasn't time for her to be injured. She winced only when she heard an attack hit the tree, sending a loud crack and a cold wind into the air.

"Minako?" Usagi asked in shock. After a moment, her cheeks colored. "Have you been standing there the whole time?"

She quickly scrambled to her feet and placed herself in front of Mamoru and Usagi. "Yeah, would you mind refocusing for a minute? We have bigger problems."

Minako watched as one of their enemies stepped out from behind the tree. She had never seen her before, which meant that it had to be the woman who had kidnapped Ami at the school or someone they hadn't encountered before. Minako found herself desperately hoping it was the former and not the latter. Minako glanced over at the tree, raising both of her eyebrows when she saw that it had been frozen solid.

Definitely the one who had taken Ami.

"You know, eavesdropping isn't very polite," the enemy said, her voice high and airy.

Minako raised an eyebrow and adjusted her stance just in case she tried to launch another offensive maneuver. "Well, neither is trying to blast my head off."

She shrugged, clasping her hands behind her back. "Duty calls I'm afraid." She stepped forward, and Minako very deliberately held her ground. "But why don't you introduce me to your little friends? I'm sure I'd love to get to know them."

Minako heard Mamoru make a strangled noise in his throat. He wasn't prepared for this; no one could expect him to be. That meant that Minako needed to do everything within her power to make sure he got out of this unscathed. She might have been furious with him for what he was doing to Usagi, but that didn't mean that she was going to let him get trounced by some whacked-out ice queen. "You don't need to know them. They aren't involved."

"He isn't involved," Usagi corrected, much to Minako's vexation. She stepped up beside her and hissed, "What are you doing? You can't take her on by yourself."

Minako clenched her jaw, wishing that there were some way to make other people understand her intentions when she couldn't voice them herself. "I was trying to get you two out of here together. There's no telling who else she has positioned around here, and I don't want to send him out unguarded."

The blue girl smiled like a biting wind. "Her name is Beruche for future reference."

"Wonderful," Minako chirped. "Still doesn't inspire confidence."

"I'm sorry," Mamoru muttered from behind them. "Hate to interrupt, but would someone mind telling me what the hell is going--"

Minako glanced over her shoulder. This was probably a situation that demanded care and tact, but if Mamoru had even an inkling of his memories lurking around his brain, Minako had a feeling that he was going to feel compelled to stick around. She couldn't afford to be worrying about him, Usagi, and herself during the fight that was certain to ensue. So she didn't feel the least bit guilty when she said, "If you want to get out alive, you better run for your life."

Usagi didn't seem too pleased with her bluntness. "Minako!"

"It's true, and you know it," Minako said quickly.

Usagi probably didn't agree with her, but she didn't protest either.

Mamoru's face turned a sickening shade of white, yet Minako could tell that as much as he wanted to run, he wanted to stay. She had a feeling it was old instincts holding him there, something that gave her hope that he would eventually remember, but now was not the time for hope. He needed to remember for Usagi's sake, but he also needed to survive for it.

He shook his head, obviously ready to proclaim whatever he had to in order to stay. "But I--"

"This isn't the time to be heroic," Minako told him without preamble. "This is the time to turn around and run because you are not ready for this."

Mamoru didn't seem convinced, although he mostly just looked terribly confused. Minako felt like telling him that one heroic act didn't automatically make him ready to be a hero. He shook his head. "I can't just leave you here."

Minako could tell by the tone in his voice that he was really only talking to one of them. It left her feeling bitter when she really had no cause to expect anything.

Usagi moved beside her, signaling to Minako that her eyes were no longer on Beruche. Minako turned back around and kept an eye on their opponent while Usagi continued to work on the one person who could not stay there. "Mamoru, please. I want to keep you safe, but I can't do that if you stay here. Just go. We'll be all right. I promise."

Beruche subtly covered her hand with her mouth as if to stifle a yawn, but Minako wasn't watching that hand. She was watching the one rising up, fingers stiff and poised.

"Scatter!" Minako shouted, diving to the right. She glanced over her shoulder to see Mamoru drag Usagi in the other direction just as Beruche's attack hit the spot they had been standing at.

"Sorry!" Beruche called out cheerfully. "I was just getting so bored."

Minako brushed the dirt away from her knees and got to her feet as quickly as she could. She was fairly certain the cut on her face had opened up again, but at least it wasn't the larger ones on her back or her thigh. She took a deep breath and pulled her henshin stick from her pocket. "Let me entertain you."

-----

Usagi flinched when she and Mamoru hit the dirt, hissing as her skin was scraped. She quickly shook it off and got to her feet, reaching for her brooch.

Mamoru's hand grasped her own. It was ridiculous for her to be so happy about the gesture at that particular moment, but she couldn't help it. "Usagi!" he said sharply.

She turned to look at him, eyes soft. "Thank you, Mamoru," she began sincerely. "But now you have to go."

He looked over at Minako and then at their enemy, Beruche, his lips pursed so tightly that they almost disappeared. He closed his eyes and said, "I feel like I can't... like I should be able to do something to help you."

Usagi felt as though her heart were going to take wing and fly away from her. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him right then and there and tell him so much more than what she had said before, but she knew that wasn't an option. Much as she hated it, there was a battle to be won. She smiled at him and said, "We'll talk after this, okay? But I don't want you to get hurt. So please, please run."

She pulled away from him reluctantly and faced Beruche, who seemed rather amused by whatever Minako had just said to her. "I won't forgive you for taking our friends and for attacking an innocent civilian! If you want to fight us, fight us. But leave him out of it."

Beruche considered this for a moment, but nodded. "I can agree to those terms."

Usagi was surprised and relieved it had actually worked. She looked over at Minako with a wide smile on her face, but it faltered when she saw the other blonde's look. She wasn't nearly as trusting as Usagi was in this matter.

She sighed, bowing her head. "Let's go."

She heard Minako's feet move in the dirt, no doubt planting herself for the coming battle. "Venus Star Power..."

Usagi exhaled and grasped her brooch in her right hand. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I didn't want you to find out like this." She gave herself one more second to collect herself from thrusting the jeweled brooch into the air, eyes wide open. "Moon Crystal Power..."

"MAKE-UP!"

-----

Even though he probably should have figured it out earlier, Mamoru finally realized what the hell Usagi had been talking about.

Mamoru's jaw dropped open as both girls were suddenly swallowed by lights that threatened to blind him. His vision was filled with feathers and ribbons entwined with stars, and he watched as they both danced inside the light. It didn't take him long to recognize the short skirts and the sailor collars, as well as the tiaras adorning their brows.

They were Sailor Senshi. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. That was why they had been targeted by this Beruche person and whoever else was on her side. It really did have nothing to do with the tree disaster. The incident was related only in the sense that the girls had been there because they were Sailor Senshi, and that had to mean that Rei, Ami, and Makoto were soldiers as well.

Everything made so much sense that Mamoru wondered how he and Motoki could ever have joked about it.

The light subsided, and Mamoru was faced with the two remaining defenders of Tokyo. They suddenly seemed much older and far more capable than he ever would have given them credit for. He looked at them for what felt like a long time, trying to remember a time when he had regarded them with less awe and seen them as allies. Predictably, nothing concrete came forth.

He just had a feeling that he wasn't supposed to be sitting there cowering in fear.

"So you are Sailor Moon," Beruche said, a smile in her voice. "I was hoping that I was right about that."

"For love and justice," Sailor Moon quipped, though surprisingly she didn't launch into the whole speech.

Beruche folded her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. "What is it exactly you hope to accomplish here, Sailor Senshi? You're not good enough to kill me, and you're too young to have the stomachs for torturing any information out of me." Her eyes darkened murderously. "That starts later."

Mamoru's eyes narrowed in confusion. He shifted focus to Venus and Sailor Moon, wondering if they knew what she was talking about. They didn't seem quite as surprised as he did, but it was still something they weren't expecting to hear.

"We'll settle for sending you on your way," Venus said smoothly. "We'll give you an out now, Beruche. If you don't want to end up like Karaberas, leave now."

Beruche sniffed, flipping her braid over her shoulder. "I'm insulted you'd compare me to that little wench. I'll have you know that she and I have nothing in common now, and we certainly won't walk away from fighting with you in the same way." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "I'll be the one causing damage today."

Without any more warning, Beruche swung her torso around, thrusting both of her arms out. Mamoru watched as water poured out from her palms. It was strange, how the move seemed menacing and harmless at the same time.

Sailor Moon and Venus weren't fooled, however. They both leapt up to avoid the attack, and Venus added in a flip for good measure. Mamoru took great comfort in the display. Underneath the steel mask, Venus was still Aino Minako and Sailor Moon was still Tsukino Usagi.

He wished they didn't have to be both.

Venus recovered first from the assault and quickly launched a counterattack. "Crescent Beam!"

Beruche quickly dodged to avoid the attack, but Mamoru saw that it barely grazed her left shoulder. She wasn't the least bit happy about that development and surged forward, shifting the battle into physical combat rather than magical assaults.

Mamoru watched with growing dread as Venus and Sailor Moon blocked and countered with a kind of ease he found disheartening. All this time, he had thought these girls were just that: girls. It made him reconsider everything he had every thought about them, especially Usagi. And Usagi's news had to make him think about all of their interactions up to this point.

He had gone out of his way to tease her about her grades and her hair and just about everything else he could latch on to. He had never really examined why he had gone to that much trouble before. He'd thought it was just because her reactions made him laugh because they were so ridiculous. He remembered that Usagi seemed to take the jabs seriously, even going so far as to profess everlasting hatred for him.

But now Usagi was telling him that they used to be in love?

When had that happened? He couldn't recall any holes in his life other than everything before waking up in that damn hospital when he was six-years-old. But she had said it with such conviction and with her bright blue eyes practically melting with his own. She couldn't have been lying. He wondered if Tsukino Usagi was capable of lying.

He looked up in time to see Sailor Moon expertly spin out of the way of one of Beruche's punches, those same eyes narrowed with a kind of determination he had never seen before. No, Usagi could definitely lie; she had to with this kind of life. But he knew for certain that she hadn't been lying about that.

So was she mistaken? It didn't seem possible that he was the same person she described in her memories. She could have gotten him mixed up with someone else. Sure, he'd protected her back with Ail and Ann, and maybe that had gotten her confused.

Mamoru sighed, holding his head in his hands. Eventually, this fight was going to end, and he was going to have to actually deal with this. He already knew he wasn't going to enjoy it. Usagi would want some sort of direct answer to what she had said, and he had no idea how Minako was going to react. Before that morning, he would have assumed she'd bounce around and irritatingly try to drag a similar confession out of him. But after receiving such a pointed, stony look from her earlier, he couldn't count on anything.

And that's when he realized he couldn't count on them being able to finish up their talk either. There was no guarantee that Venus and Sailor Moon were going to win the battle. More importantly, there was no guarantee that they would all make it out alive.

_'If you want to get out alive, you better run for your life.'_

Mamoru shivered and turned his attention back to the battle, his fists shaking at his sides. He could deal with his personal issues later. This was more important.

It was pretty clear that all three of the women were getting pretty tired of this kind of hand-to-hand combat. Sailor Moon especially didn't seem the best equipped to deal with it. She barely managed to lean back in order to avoid a hard punch to the jaw. However, Mamoru felt a strange amount of pride well up in his chest when she dropped to her knees and swept her leg out, trying to kick Beruche's legs out from underneath her.

Unfortunately, Beruche managed to clear the attack and refocused her efforts on Venus. She bent her arm and sent an elbow directly for the face. Venus, whose attention was split between Beruche and Sailor Moon, didn't have enough time to duck. It caught her in the cheek, smearing the blood from the already open wound on her skin.

Mamoru held his breath, wondering if this would prove to be a turning point for the worse. But then he saw Sailor Moon's eyes flash. She picked up a rock from the ground and slammed it as hard as she could into the side of Beruche's head. She shrieked and staggered backwards, holding the gaping wound.

He was starting to feel some sense of relief. The two of them were doing well. They had Beruche outnumbered, and he was daring to hope that they had her outclassed. He felt certain that they were going to send her packing any minute now.

Venus ducked low to dodge yet another punch and started to swing her leg up to catch Beruche square in the face. Mamoru found himself smiling, anticipating how satisfying it would be to watch her go reeling back. Perhaps after that it would only be a few more minutes and then both of the girls would be safe. Then they could tell him who they thought he was and what he was supposed to do against this kind of enemy.

He gasped when he saw Beruche catch Venus's ankle in her hand. Venus seemed rather surprised as well. She cried out as her leg was pushed down. She spun and staggered about, clearly thrown off balance. Beruche quickly took advantage of the opening and launched a powerful kick to her midsection. Venus screamed in pain and flew back. Mamoru winced as her back hit the tree with a sickening sound, and he didn't miss the way her face twisted in pain there.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon cried out, running forward. She dug her heels in to slow down when she saw Beruche spin back around, her arm flung out. Sailor Moon dodged so that she had moved closer to where Mamoru was standing. She barely missed being caught up in Beruche's attack.

Mamoru felt sick as he watched the ground freeze where Sailor Moon had been standing. What were they supposed to do if one of them actually got hit by that? More importantly, what was he supposed to do?

"You really should have listened to them, you know," Beruche said loudly. It took Mamoru a moment to realize she was talking to him.

He straightened, blinking. "What?"

Beruche smiled, and the disturbing part about it was that her face actually looked pleasant. "You should have run."

Mamoru watched in shock as Beruche went against her word and launched her attack right for him. It felt so surreal. When Usagi had been in danger, Mamoru had acted entirely on instinct, moving her out of the way as quickly as possible. But now that he had seen the damage Beruche could inflict and now that he was on his own, he couldn't move. It was like he was frozen in place before the ice ever got there.

"Mamoru!"

He looked up just in time to see Sailor Moon sprinting towards him, running all out to get to him. He tried to tell her to stop, but it was too late. Her smaller body crashed into his chest like a blonde wrecking ball, knocking him to the ground. He watched as her face twisted in pain, and looked up to see the edges of Beruche's power wash across her back. Her skin felt cold, and if he moved his fingers just a bit, he could feel where it had frozen solid. They spun in the air so that she was going to take the brunt of the landing. He tried to alter their position, but they didn't have enough momentum to stay in the air any longer. They hit hard, and he saw tiny shards of ice break off her skin, exposing the frozen flesh and hair. Her skin looked red and raw now, and he knew that the attack had probably done more than just give her frostbite.

"Sailor Moon!" he heard Venus cry out. He thought about turning to see her, but the noises that followed indicated that Beruche wasn't going to let her through. For the moment, he was on his own.

"Usagi," he hissed, moving off her and pulling her a bit more upright. He set about to rubbing some of the affected skin, swallowing when he hit the damper portions of her. He deliberately did not look to see if it was blood or water. "You shouldn't have done that."

She shook her head, teeth shattering and eyes wide with agony. And yet somehow she managed to look... serene.

"I know I did the right thing," she whispered. "Besides, I owed you."

He had no idea if she was referring to back with Ail and Ann, him pushing her out of the way a few moments before, or some other incident he could not longer remember. He found his hands shaking at the thought that he could so capriciously throw his life around, and he could barely remember the looks on Minako's and Usagi's faces when they were attacked without feeling sick.

He closed his eyes and hissed, "Usagi, I don't think I can--"

"Watch it!" Sailor Moon cried out, her palms pushing against his chest.

Mamoru turned as far as his neck would allow just in time to see a dark boot heading straight for his face. He whipped back around and yelled as the toe made contact with his neck, pushing him away from Sailor Moon. He hit the ground hard, and his head practically exploded from the pain. He tried to push himself upright, but he was having a fairly hard time of it.

It became much easier when he heard her scream.

He whipped around and watched as another woman with the same black tattoo on her forehead swept down and grabbed Sailor Moon around the waist, pinning her arms at her sides. The blonde thrashed for a minute, but it quickly became clear that the last assault had weakened her to the point where it wasn't going to do her much good.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus shrieked, rushing forward. She pointed a finger at the new arrival's head. "Let her go, now!"

She smiled, her dark lips spreading wide to reveal startlingly white teeth. Mamoru didn't know if it was the kick to the head or not, but he could have sworn they looked sharper than they were meant to be. "Lower that finger, Venus, unless you want me to use your friend for a human shield."

Venus's cheeks colored, but she did not lower her hand.

"Petz!" Beruche shouted from her position. She stalked forward and actually stood at Venus's side. For a moment, the pair almost looked united. "What are you doing here? I was given this assignment!"

Petz chuckled darkly, her grip tightening on Sailor Moon as she continued to squirm. "Actually, right after he sent you off to create this little distraction, he told me what his real objective was." She paused, laughing aloud. "Did you honestly think Rubeus thought you'd be able to bring both of them down by yourself."

Beruche clenched her hands into fists and stomped her foot. "How dare you go behind my back like this!"

Petz rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's still your job to bring Goldilocks back to base. We don't think you're completely useless." Petz tossed her head. "I hope you can manage that much."

The three of them watched in various degrees of horror and rage as Petz vaulted upwards, taking Sailor Moon with her.

"Odango!" Mamoru shouted, forgetting to use any of the names she would have liked to be called in his panic.

"Sailor Moon!" Venus shrieked, running forward to Mamoru's side even though there was nothing either of them could do.

She opened her mouth to call back to them, but it was too late. A second later, both Petz and Sailor Moon vanished. When they disappeared, an impossible hush fell over the area. Even the birds and the nearby brook seemed to succumb to silence, mourning their loss or perhaps forewarning more hardships to come.

Mamoru didn't give it much consideration. He just kept looking up at the spot where Sailor Moon had once been, all of his own pain forgotten. He was too consumed with the look in her eyes as she had been taken. It was burning its way into Mamoru's memories, and he knew that no amount of trauma would ever make him forget it.

Nor would it let it him forget that he had failed.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Some of you may have noticed that along with upping the rating (I decided torture should autmotically make something rated R/M), but the chapter count just jumped from twenty-four to twenty-five. That is because this chapter was intended to be a lot longer, but I wound up splitting it in half during the final planning stages. I knew when I was going to get to the part where Usagi gets snatched that it was going to feel like an ending and that continuing on would feel weird and wrong. I considered just living with the wrongness, but I ultimately decided that the story was better as a whole if I broke here.

Not to mention the fact that I've left you with a hell of a cliff-hanger. XD I am the great evil.

A big thank you and a thousand and one chocolate Helioses go to Yumeko for editing this chapter and for letting me know what was wrong with the first draft. :D You are wonderful, and I do not know what I would do without you. 3

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Coming Soon - Part Nine: Desperate Partners


	9. Desperate Partners

Forgotten Forever  
Part Nine: Desperate Partners  
by Kihin Ranno  
9/25  
R

Petz quickly remembered Rubeus's good advice to Karaberas almost immediately when she arrived back at the base. Karaberas had made the mistake of taking Sailor Jupiter when she was still conscious, and now Petz had mirrored the error. Her feet had touched ground, but she was in danger of being knocked off her feet with Sailor Moon's thrashing about.

"Let go of me!" the child demanded petulantly, lending credence to the theory of who she would later become. "I have to go back! I have to help--"

"Be still!" Petz barked, happy that she had possessed the foresight to pin the girl's arms at least. The last thing she needed was for her to reach for her scepter at this point. "You're nowhere near Sailor Venus or Mr. Tall, Dark, and Useless. It's finished."

Sailor Moon gave another powerful kick, this one landing on Petz's knee. It buckled, but she held on. She wasn't going to lose her quarry now. She may have been captured, but she could still do a lot of damage if she wanted to, and if she managed to get her allies free, the lot of them were as good as dead.

"If I wasn't under orders to bring you back in one piece, I'd twist your head off by your pigtails," Petz growled.

Sailor Moon looked afraid as a result of this threat, but she shook her head violently, pretending to be braver than she was. "I'll never forgive you for this!"

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that one before," Petz muttered through clenched teeth.

"Petz, what is all the--"

Petz felt Sailor Moon freeze in her arms at the sound of Rubeus's voice. She looked up, not surprised that he had come but still a bit taken aback by his sudden presence. Her eyes met his instantly, and she could tell that in spite of his changed posture and his arched eyebrow, that he had been suspecting this might happen. Perhaps he hadn't known she'd been spying, but he knew her well enough to count on something like this. After all, she wasn't much of an Akayashi sister if she didn't take advantage of every opportunity to screw one of her sisters over.

She felt proud for living up to expectations.

"Well, what have we here?" he asked, his voice deceptively casual. Petz could tell by the look in his eyes that he regarded this as anything but blasé. "The little ringleader herself."

Petz momentarily turned her attention to her captive, curious to see her reaction to his presence. The girl might not have looked very bright, but she wasn't stupid. She knew enough to be terrified of Rubeus, and she hadn't even seen him in action. Then again, there was something about him that oozed violence and malevolence. People said that killers couldn't be spotted based on looks, but clearly those people had never met Rubeus.

Sailor Moon's breaths came fast and sharp, practically whistling through her windpipe with every half of a second. Her back was tense, and all of her limbs had locked. In spite of that tension, she felt almost slack in Petz's arms. It was very clear that Sailor Moon wasn't going to struggle anymore. She knew where she was and how much danger she was in. Everything she had been doing up to that point was liable to get her killed rather than freed.

"I assume Beruche is still working to apprehend Sailor Venus," Rubeus said, his eyes remaining on Sailor Moon's quivering form.

"Last I checked," Petz answered easily.

Rubeus took a step forward, and Sailor Moon practically tried to disappear into Petz's body. She leaned backwards, whimpering quietly. Petz realized that her soldiers had been keeping her extremely sheltered, which arguably meant that she'd been well-protected. But while Sailor Moon displayed her fear without a second thought, Petz didn't doubt that any one of them would have realized Rubeus enjoyed that immensely. They would have at least tried to hold their ground and give him nothing but silence and a glare.

"So, this is the legendary Sailor Moon," Rubeus said, now standing just one foot away from the two of them. "We've been expecting you," Rubeus informed her, reaching forward and taking a hold of one of her earrings. Petz expected him to rip it out of her ear, and as much as she would have enjoyed seeing it, she knew that would have been a mistake. But he just stood there, watching it catch the light for a minute. Eventually, he let it drop. Sailor Moon had been holding her breath the whole time.

She exhaled and began moving her mouth as if she were trying to form words. "My friends…" she started, her voice coming out in something like a croak. "Where are they?" She swallowed, looking Rubeus up and down. "Did you hurt them?"

Rubeus regarded her for a moment and then chuckled, smiling. "Of course I did."

Petz swore she actually felt Sailor Moon's heart stop against her chest. In fact, everything seemed to freeze once Rubeus had answered her query. It wasn't as though Petz hadn't heard him say such things before, and they certainly didn't bother her, but perhaps her proximity to Sailor Moon allowed her to partially experience her reactions. Petz didn't feel disgust or outrage or any of the things the smaller girl must have been feeling, but she knew how the scene would look if she were feeling those things.

This musing distracted Petz for a moment too long. With a loud yell, Sailor Moon defied all of Petz's pronouncements of her supposed intelligence and broke free from her grasp. The girl flung her right arm out, and Petz's eyes quickly followed the limb. The scepter that had nearly killed her sister was about to make another appearance, and this time, it was turning against Rubeus.

"Master Rubeus!" Petz cried out instinctually.

Rubeus looked upon the move with a little more than disinterest. Their closeness proved to be Sailor Moon's downfall as he reached out and seized her right wrist, the movement happening so quickly that Rubeus might have been able to outmaneuver a viper trying to sink its point into his skin. Sailor Moon yelled in surprise at the counterattack, and then in pain as he twisted the limb around farther than it was ever meant to go. However, he stopped just short of the point where he would have broken bones, though it was obvious he longed to turn it that extra inch. But regardless of what he wanted, his goal was accomplished quickly enough. The scepter that had begun to materialize vanished immediately, and the danger was abated.

"Let's make sure something like that doesn't happen again," Rubeus suggested loudly, reaching forward with his other hand and grasping Sailor Moon's pink brooch.

The air caught in Petz's throat at this, but Rubeus's hand did not linger. He simply ripped the jeweled compact from her breast without ceremony, even going so far as to avert his eyes. He released her completely and then let her fall back to the ground with curious apathy. Petz looked on as her transformation faded away in a flurry of ribbons and feathers, her eyes wide as she stared at him from the floor.

"That was very stupid," Rubeus informed her plainly, turning his head back around to face her. "I broke your friend's nose for much less."

Sailor Moon – who Petz thought looked the least powerful without her uniform and other heroic accoutrement – stopped staring up at him like a scared puppy. She narrowed her eyes and glared with as much defiance as she could probably muster. Petz didn't know why she bothered; she could never hide her fear when she'd already shown it so openly. "Just because you've got me doesn't mean that you've won. Venus is still out there, and so is--" She stopped quickly, her mouth closing in such a way that Petz's teeth ached.

Rubeus raised another eyebrow. "There's someone else I need to concern myself with?"

Sailor Moon turned her eyes away, her fist clenching and gathering up the material of her skirt in her hand. Petz was about to say something about the other man who had been with Venus and Sailor Moon at the scene, the one she had kicked in the head. But before she could speak up, the conversation continued. She suspected the information could wait a moment, so she kept silent. "Venus won't let you win."

Rubeus scoffed, laughing aloud. He sounded the happiest he'd been since Petz had met him years before. "Venus has already lost. Just as soon as Beruche finishes with her, she's bringing her up to join the rest of you."

Petz caught a glint in Rubeus's eye at the mention of Venus. He had become increasingly careless about his instincts when it came to the golden soldier, and it made her nervous. Of course, she would have liked seeing just about any punishment Rubeus saw fit to dole out (with one very notable exception), but he was to bring all four Sailor Senshi alive and Sailor Moon for Prince Demando's personal use. That meant Rubeus needed restraint where all of their captives were concerned. The incident with Jupiter had been the equivalent of a warning shot. Either Sailor Venus or Sailor Moon was going to be the real thing.

Unwilling to sacrifice the current captive, Petz stepped forward. "Master Rubeus, I think it's best if we take her into the hold. Beruche could be arriving with Venus any time now, and I'd rather not be caught with two of them running loose."

Rubeus chuckled a bit, his lips still twisted into the omnipresent smirk. "Of course."

Petz nodded and caught Sailor Moon's pale arm, hauling her up without a bit of warning and likely bruising the skin. She began leading the smaller girl back to where the other captives were kept, pleased to find that her struggling had decreased somewhat. Petz only had to give her a good yank every three steps or so.

"Oh, Petz."

She paused, glancing over her shoulder and resting a hand on her hip. She hoped he wasn't going to deal her a compliment; she didn't have the patience for such niceties, and unlike some of her sisters, she didn't need the occasional reassurance. "Yes?"

Rubeus cracked his neck and closed his eyes, looking almost relaxed. "Don't go through the whole thing with her."

Petz nodded in understanding. Bruises were one thing, but it was a bad idea to do any more damage to Demando's favored. "Understood. I assume the same courtesy won't be extended to--"

"You can put two on that one as far as I'm concerned," Rubeus interrupted, teeth bared.

Sailor Moon stiffened at Petz's side. "Two of what? What do you--"

"Get her out of here," Rubeus said, tossing the brooch into the air and catching it lazily.

"Yes, Master Rubeus," Petz answered, this time not bothering with the nod. She pulled on Sailor Moon's arm to get her going, nearly resulting in toppling them both over. Rather than deal with any more nonsense, she opted to teleport directly to the prison cell. She wasn't surprised to find the three Senshi alert and awake; she hadn't seen them sleep once since their arrival.

Mars was the first to notice their arrival. Her violet eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, and her already insufferable voice climbed an octave. "Usagi!"

"Rei," Sailor Moon returned, already sobbing like a child. It was an utterly disgusting display.

In spite of all she'd been put through, Jupiter got to her feet, predictably ready with a challenge. "I don't care what you do to us, but don't you dare saddle her with one of these," she snarled, pointing at the metal collar around her neck.

"Shockingly, your threats are even more useless than usual." Not willing to disclose any more than that, Petz gestured her free hand at the door to their cell. It swung open only long enough to push Sailor Moon through it and then slammed closed behind her. The girl stumbled into the makeshift cage and landed heavily in Jupiter's arms, knocking them both to the ground. Then Sailor Moon began wailing loudly, bringing all three of her allies around her to form a protective barrier.

"A crying soldier," Petz spat distastefully. "Pathetic."

"You're pathetic," Mars snapped, her head whirling around and teeth gnashing in Petz's direction.

Mercury looked pale and wrapped her fingers around her comrade's wrist. "Rei, don't. Not again, not in front of--"

"I'd rather not have a repeat episode of Cooan's meltdown," Petz drawled, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "I'll leave you alone if you keep her from bawling so much. It's not as if we'll have you with us for much longer."

"Only if you get Venus, right?" Jupiter asked, her voice strangely quiet in spite of the sobbing teenager in her arms.

"That's the general idea," Petz answered in a bored tone. Why had she decided to engage them in conversation? She could barely stand to talk to people on her own side of the war.

Once again, Mars proved her infinite stupidity by ignoring Mercury's warning and smarting off again. Lucky for her, Petz was in a generous mood, and she had no mood to hear the shrieking that would certainly result from any form of retaliation. "There's no guarantee you'll take her as well. She might send your sister back in pieces for all you know."

"Mars," Mercury hissed harshly. Petz couldn't tell if she was trying to quiet her or if she was scolding her fellow soldier for being too idealistic.

Petz scoffed and turned to leave. She had neither the time nor the patience to deal with children, no matter who they would grow up to be. "Beruche isn't completely useless. Trust me, she'll bring your little blonde comrade back in just a few minutes. Make no mistake about that."

A second later, there was a dull thump that seemed to come from the main chamber on the ship. Petz arched an eyebrow, wondering what could have caused it when she heard Rubeus's voice echoing down the hallways, clearly reaching their ears even though the distance between them was great. And when Petz heard exactly what he said, she couldn't help but curse.

She'd spoken just a little too soon.

-----

Venus stared up at the spot where Sailor Moon and Beruche's comrade, Petz, had been only seconds before. She swore that she could still hear the girl's scream echoing in the air, that she could still make out the outline of her twisting form. It didn't seem real to think that she wasn't there anymore. Not when Venus could detect her presence in every aspect of the battlefield.

But she was gone.

Venus quickly found herself longing for the tree she had left seconds before as her knees gave way, unable to withstand the shock of the loss. The heels of her hands struck the ground first and sent lightning bolts of pain up to her elbows, but that couldn't possibly compare to the ache in her chest. The closest Venus could come to describing it was if a hand of fire had pushed through her skin and taken her heart away, but not before bending bones and scorching her blood. She felt sick and withered and completely defeated.

"Usagi…" she whispered, shutting her eyes to keep her vision from blurring any more. She had never so longed for another person in her entire life. Even though they had been fighting and even though she might have been as close to hating her as she ever got, Usagi was still one of her best friends. She was still the uniting force between the five girls, binding them together when they otherwise would have been alone. The thought of losing her was enough to make her almost wish that she had taken back everything she'd said about Mamoru just so the two of them could have had a few more minutes together before the kidnapping – the one she had nearly killed herself to prevent – finally occurred.

"That bitch!"

Venus's eyes snapped open, remembering that things weren't over yet.

She couldn't see Beruche from where she sat, but she could hear Beruche very clearly. Now that she knew there was still a battle yet to be fought, Venus had no intention of ever being unsure of where her enemy stood.

"They do this to me every time. I'm not even the youngest, but they still treat me like some incompetent little…" Beruche trailed off, unwilling to finish and replaced her words with a cry of frustration, quickly followed by the sound of a foot connecting with wood. Chips fell to the ground and the smell of sawdust quickly reached her nostrils. "If she'd just given me five more minutes, I'd have had them both!"

"Where is she?" another voice growled.

Venus raised her eyebrows. Mamoru. He'd stayed behind, and now, just when she needed him to be quiet and maybe even abandon her to the remaining fight, he saw fit to get involved. If she were a more bitter person, she would have said it was too little, too late. She wasn't that bitter, and so she only thought it.

Beruche stamped her foot, childishly sending a vibration through the dirt that Venus felt against her palm. "Honestly, what are you even doing here?"

Predictably, Mamoru still refused to heed good advice. "Tell me where she is," he demanded, his voice deepening with entitlement so that he almost sounded capable.

"Nowhere you can find her," Beruche snapped. "And the same place she's going!"

Venus heard Beruche turn and start towards her and the sound of Mamoru inhaling, preparing to shout a warning. Of course, she didn't need it.

"I don't think so," Venus hissed. She rolled forward and pushed herself into a handspring to get back on her feet. She turned just in time to see Beruche throwing yet another jet stream of water her way. She crouched down and leapt upwards to keep from being caught up in the storm. Once aloft, she twisted in the air and saw the area crust over with ice that reflected her image like smooth mirror.

She landed on top of the injured tree and wasted no time in launching her own attack to counter. "Crescent Beam Shower!" Venus called out, throwing her hand forward and sending a torrent of golden rays shooting towards Beruche.

The blue-clad girl scowled and vanished just before she would have been hit. The beams continued on their way, impacting the sheet of ice and sending tiny shards into the air. She heard Mamoru cry out in pain and turned to see him clutch his arm.

"Mamoru, please go!" Venus yelled down to him, suddenly longing for Rei's ability to emotionally destroy other people with just the right turn of phrase. It might not have sent him on his way, but it certainly would have made her feel better.

"Why don't _you_?"

Venus looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Beruche hovering just behind her. She should have been less surprised when Beruche kicked out and caught her in the chest, but she wasn't. She cried out as she flew out of the tree and went hurtling toward the ground. She barely managed to twist to avoid landing on her back. The wound Karaberas had dealt her there had already opened up from when she hit the tree; she didn't need to exacerbate it anymore.

"Minako!" Mamoru shouted, making a move like he was going to come towards her.

"Don't!" Venus shouted, keeping her eyes on Beruche. She shook her head at her enemy and called up to her. "I'm not going back with you. I won't let you win this easily."

Beruche laughed, tossing her head back and covering her mouth with her gloved fingers. "I can't believe you actually said that, you stupid girl. Don't you realize what's happening here?" She stopped and narrowed her eyes, her tone of voice perfectly conversational and perfectly aware of that fact. "You've already lost."

Venus's fingers curled into the dirt, and it suddenly became hard for her to keep her eyes open. She hated hearing things like that, and even though she knew she ought to shrug them off, it was harder now than ever before. She was hurt and she was tired. Part of her wanted to just acquiesce to what Beruche had just said. Maybe it really was over; maybe she really hadn't had a chance to win without anyone else's help. She wasn't smart enough, wasn't strong enough, wasn't passionate enough, wasn't powerful enough. There were too many areas she was lacking in. How could she hope to stand alone against an enemy this strong?

"Better you surrender now," Beruche offered, pretending to be kind. "I'm sure the others won't blame you when they see the blood."

But that's when she remembered, much as she hated to think about it: she'd already fought alone.

It was with that in mind that she looked up at Beruche and simply shook her head. There was absolutely nothing that she had to say to that woman. Not anymore.

Beruche sighed sadly, leaning her head against her fingertips. "That's too bad. For you I mean." Her expression changed faster that Venus could blink. Her lip curled and eyes flashed as she leapt up and out, arms outstretched and reaching for her prey. The lioness was pouncing.

But Venus had no intention of being hunted any longer. Before she really knew what she was doing, she found herself standing on two feet, arms raised above her head. She brought them down quickly and saw something thin and gold dancing around her body. She didn't have to wonder what it was or what it was meant for. She knew all that in her heart, and she was sure in her head that it was going to save her.

"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

Beruche stopped in her descent, eyes wide with panic. She started to say something, but quickly thought better of it, deciding it was better just to get out of the way. She vanished in a quick flash of light and didn't automatically reappear.

Venus almost considered the idea that she had retreated, but she discounted that instantly. Beruche had been humiliated by her sister. She wasn't going anywhere until she was forced to retreat, and there were very few ways that Venus could manage to do that. Moreover, there was only one that seemed plausible at the moment.

She spun around, the chain still at her command. It had been a gamble that Beruche would reappear behind her, and it was one that paid off. Venus nearly felt sick with relief when she saw the outline of her opponent begin to materialize. Without wasting time or words, she flung her hand forward, pointing right at Beruche's neck. The chain whipped out, speeding towards its target like a heat-seeking missile. Venus grasped her end of the chain just as it wound around Beruche's neck, the metal links sinking into her skin.

Beruche gasped and instantly started pulling at the chain, struggling for air. Venus held fast, her hands wound so tightly around her weapon that they also started to bleed.

She took a long, shuddering breath and said the only thing she could think of. "Go. Home."

With that, Venus pulled on her end as hard as she possibly could. Beruche spun in mid-air as the metal sliced against her flesh. A spray of blood filled the air, but Venus's eyes were soon back on the ground. Beruche hit it on her knees, both of her hands wrapped around her neck to control the bleeding as much as she could. She looked up at Venus, gasping and trying to form words to curse her, threaten her, make her regret the desperate act of violence. But there were no words that Beruche could waste time saying, and so she left them in her pain and fury, eyes silently promising that this wasn't the end.

Venus didn't need any silent promises for that. She planned on chasing down her enemies until there wasn't any breath in her body. And as much as it terrified her, she was going to have to do it alone.

Save one powerless ally.

-----

Beruche stumbled back into the world on the ship loudly, tripping over air and running into the counter of the medical supply room. It was protocol to arrive in the main chamber for debriefing, but she was fairly certain even Rubeus would have to forgive her for this painfully necessary detour.

Beruche hissed and started to swear against that Senshi, but quickly stopped when she realized it was forcing out more blood from her neck. She would have to wait to curse Sailor Venus to her death. First, she would have to fix the damage the little brat had done to her. It would be simple enough once she could find the salve stolen from Sailor Mercury's labs in the future. Venus's cut wasn't deep enough to kill her as quickly as the little bitch no doubt would have liked. She was losing a lot of blood, but it would take awhile for her to lose enough to die. She wasn't going to let it get anywhere close to being that bad.

She reluctantly took one hand off her neck to open the correct cabinet. She swiftly swung it open and reached for the area where the little jar always sat. She kept things in the Medical Ward perfectly organized so that she could lay hands on things instantly in case of emergency, and her imminent death certainly qualified.

But when her fingers closed to wrap around the small jar, she grasped nothing.

Beruche inhaled, wheezing loud enough to wake the dead, but not Karaberas less than twenty feet away. She started tearing through the cabinet, thinking perhaps that Cooan had stupidly rearranged things when she had been in there last. She swore that she would make Cooan pay for that stupidity as she started throwing everything she touched to the ground in search of that one damn jar. When she had gone through everything that, she moved over to the next one, tossing its contents left and right.

She had to find that salve. It was the only thing now that could stop the bleeding in time. If she didn't get it on her neck within the next three minutes, she was done for. She didn't want to die any more than the next person, but she absolutely refused to fall victim to some tarty little fourteen-year-old who had been beaten until she realized how to call upon that chain too early.

Beruche's eyes went wide when she finally came to grips with the fact that the cure-all wasn't there. She slammed her fist into the cabinet door, surprising herself when a tiny dent appeared in the metal. Then she spun around, leaning against the counter to keep herself upright and bringing her now throbbing hand up to her neck. She had to do everything humanly possibly to control the bleeding. It was her only hope unless she could think of where it was.

She must have been the one to move it. Not even Cooan was stupid enough to take any supplies out of the ward without Beruche's knowledge. Karaberas certainly wasn't in any condition to stand up much less carry anything. Petz, infuriatingly enough, was barely bruised anymore after her fight with Sailor Jupiter. She had no need of it, and so she wasn't going to touch it. And Rubeus probably didn't even remember the damn thing existed. That was everyone except the captives.

Beruche's back straightened. Of course. The Sailor Senshi. She'd given them the jar once it looked like Cooan was on the mend because they needed to be as healthy as possible upon their return to Nemesis. She hadn't bothered to get it back for Karaberas because her injuries were too severe, and then she'd forgotten she'd moved it all.

This was the price she paid for being merciful.

She started to teleport back to that room, but as her head started to spin, she realized that was one of her dumber ideas. She wasn't strong enough to do that. She was barely strong enough to walk. Unfortunately, she was going to have to run if she had any hope of making it in time.

Without wasting another breath, Beruche pushed herself away from the counter with her lower body and took off as fast as she could, heading directly for the holding chamber. She stumbled on just about every third step and had to reach out to the wall for support more often than not. But more importantly, she wasn't making progress like she needed to. She wasn't well enough for this. The blood loss was beginning to be too much. Her vision was starting to blur and the strength in her fingers was waning, allowing more and more blood to seep past her guards.

Finally, she made it out in the main room. Every inch of space she could make out was smeared and spinning. She could scarcely tell the mirrors from the floor, and now that she was out in the open with nothing to grab, she could tell that she couldn't stay standing. Her right knee collapsed as if it had been kicked from behind, and she started to go down.

At that exact moment, she saw a flash of red and green. She knew immediately that it was either Rubeus or a hallucination of Rubeus, but whatever it was, she had to try and get his attention. She couldn't speak, and he was too lost in thought to have noticed her in spite of her feet clacking against the floor. But a louder noise would surely attract his attention if he was really there.

She used the last bit of strength she had left in her body, the one she was using to keep her eyes open, and straightened her legs. As she had suspected, the last, desperate act was too much for her to take. Her eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell forward, gravity taking care of the rest.

The last thing she heard before she blacked out was the sound of her own body hitting the floor.

-----

Rubeus was dragged out of his thoughts by the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the floor. He couldn't help but smirk, certain that he would turn and see Beruche standing with the final Sailor Senshi prone at her feet. He pictured the sight in his mind's eye in the three seconds it took him to turn around. Gold hair matted with blood spilling out underneath her, chest rising and falling as she took in what could be her final, shallow breaths, and her skin littered with cuts and bruises, so different from the last time he had seen her, unscathed and triumphant even in her defeat.

It wasn't as good as seeing her corpse, but it would do for the time being.

"Nice of you to join us," Rubeus began as he finished his revolution. His eyes stayed trained to the ground, prepared to be confronted with red and orange and blue boots in the background.

What he saw was almost all red.

It took him half a beat to realize that it was Beruche lying at his feet, blood pouring from her neck and staining her chest, her clothes, and the ends of her hair. Her eyes were closed, and she wheezed with every breath she fought to take. It was one of his warriors dying on his floor, and while Venus was nowhere to be found, she was hovering above them like a specter, sucking the life away from them all.

"Beruche!" Rubeus shouted, springing forward and pulling the small girl into his arms. He reached forward and covered her neck wound with his hand, trying to control his fingers so they didn't squeeze as hard as his instinct called for. He looked over his shoulder and bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Petz! Cooan! Get over here now!"

Neither Cooan nor Petz hesitated a moment in arriving, making him think that perhaps they had heard the noise of Beruche's body hitting the ground. The minute Cooan saw her sister, she shrieked and ran to her side, slipping in the blood and crashing to her knees. She reached forward and grabbed Beruche's hand, clinging to it as if she thought keeping a grip on the body would keep her spirit locked in. "Beruche! Beruche, wake up!"

"What happened?" Petz asked, her voice sounding strangely quiet.

"What do you think happened?" Rubeus shouted, his teeth gnashing together so hard that his jaw throbbed. "Just tell me there's something to be done to fix this."

Surprisingly, Cooan spoke up with an idea that actually sounded plausible. "The stuff that Beruche stole from Mercury's labs! That should seal the cut and stop the bleeding. I'll go get it." She started to get to her feet and run back to the medical ward to retrieve it.

"Wait!" Petz called out, stopping Cooan mid-movement. "Look at the blood trail. She's already been there, and she couldn't find it."

Rubeus screwed his face up in fury. He had some of the Black Moon's best assassins under his command, and now they couldn't even locate the one thing that would heal their own. He had no love for any of them –no love for anyone – but he had no intentions of losing even one member of his team. He would not withstand that humiliation. It was bad enough that Karaberas was hurt, but he wasn't going to lose Beruche on top of that.

"Where the hell is it?" Rubeus yelled, glaring at both the sisters in turn.

Cooan's eyes darted back and forth, her fingernails digging into her sister's skin. Suddenly, her head snapped up, violet eyes wide with realization. "She must have left it with the prisoners!"

Much as Rubeus would have liked to question the validity of this assumption, he didn't have time to waste with that argument. He looked over his shoulder and started to order Petz to go retrieve it, but she was already teleporting away from the scene. It was no small miracle that she was back almost as soon as she had gone, a jar in one hand and a pink communicator in the other.

"Give it here," Cooan instructed, not really waiting for Petz to hand it to her and pulling it out of her grasp as soon as she was able to do so. She opened the jar, swearing when she saw how little was left inside. She dipped two fingers into the container, swirling them around the edges as quickly as she could. Finally, she reached out and smoothed the green translucent gel onto the cut.

Amazingly enough, it managed to penetrate through the wet blood and seep directly into the wound. Rubeus watched with some relief as the skin began to seal over the injury. The wrong committed against one of his subordinates had been healed as well as could be expected. But he knew that even if her skin remained unmarred, Beruche would carry a scar from that day onward.

Cooan reached for Beruche's wrist, taking her pulse. She frowned deeply and looked up at Rubeus seriously. "She'll be fine for awhile, but we have to get her back to Nemesis as soon as possible. She's lost a lot of blood, and there's no way we can do anything about that now."

Rubeus closed his eyes, taking this in. Regardless of Beruche's condition, they did have to be getting back to Nemesis as soon as possible. As soon as he gave a report that Sailor Moon had been captured, Prince Demando was going to become even more insistent about their impending return. And there were going to be questions. How is it they managed to kidnap the most powerful of the five, and yet leave Sailor Venus, of all people, running free? Why did he come back with captives with cuts and bruises and two of his own team members with critical injuries? And why did he have nothing to report about killing one man when he had been expressly ordered to eviscerate that one man on sight?

He loathed being in this position. He was a general for Christ's sake. He was the sort of man meant to be in charge of armies that slaughtered thousands that stood in their way. He was supposed to be on the front lines, laying waste to Crystal Tokyo and the monarchs that dwelled in. He was not supposed to be playing baby-sitter to four spoiled women originally sent to snatch a child. He was not supposed to be hounded and _scolded_ for failing to complete every mission mere hours after its assignment. And he was definitely not supposed to be holding a dying killer in his arms sent there by some slut who'd managed to take a lucky shot.

"Petz, take Beruche back to the medical ward," Rubeus instructed in a low voice. "Do what you can to get her cleaned up. Don't bother with anything else. We won't be here much longer."

Petz wisely did nothing to protest this assignment. She bent down and slung Beruche's left arm over her shoulders and hoisted her up. She closed her eyes, preparing to make the jump to the other room, when Rubeus held up a bloody arm. He looked down at her hand still clutching the pink wrist communicator, one no doubt taken from Sailor Moon as an afterthought to the salve. He nodded and held out his hand. "Give me that."

She looked at him for a moment, her green eyes narrowing in understanding. She nodded and dropped it into his open, crimson palm. As soon as the device touched his skin, she and Beruche disappeared, their silhouettes slowly fading from his sight.

Neither he nor Cooan moved for a moment, he staring at the spot where Beruche had just hung from Petz's arms, and she staring down at the impossibly large pool of blood that sat stagnant between them. He supposed she was waiting for him to reassure her, and while the thought normally would have amused him, it failed miserably in this case. Much as he would have liked to silently mock Cooan's ridiculous infatuation with him, he didn't have the time for it. Just like he didn't have the time to stare at anything.

He grunted and got to his feet, not missing how Cooan quickly followed suit. He looked down at the communicator in his hand, glaring at it so intensely that he wouldn't have been that surprised if it exploded between his fingers. He closed his fist around it, his fingertips moving slick against the blood.

"What are you going to do?" Cooan asked after a moment, her voice low and surprisingly cautious. She wasn't the sort who gave much consideration to intelligent maneuvers. She preferred to be impulsive. Her wariness was certainly a testament to something about his look. Maybe it was his quiet.

"I need you to stay here," Rubeus said, not directly answering the question. "Do what you can about the blood and Beruche. Make sure either you or Petz checks in on the prisoners once in awhile. Tell Karaberas the situation if she wakes up."

Cooan swallowed, taking a careful step forward, feeling about for the driest portion of the floor. "You're not doing what I think you're doing."

Rubeus whirled on her, shoulders hunching and teeth snapping like a viper's jaws. "Are you telling me how to run this operation?"

Cooan was wise enough to be afraid, shrinking away from him. She closed her eyes and said, "I can go, Master Rubeus. I can--"

"No," Rubeus snapped, resisting the urge to belittle the suggestion even more than he always did. "I've sent two of you to capture her now, and both have failed miserably. Besides, you're still injured."

"Barely!" Cooan countered, losing her temper enough to shout.

"You're hurt enough to slow you down," Rubeus growled. "I don't care how battered she is. I am not sending anyone who isn't in perfect condition to take her on."

Cooan scoffed, shaking her head at him. He had no idea where the courage was coming from after being so timid a moment before. "Then send Petz. There's nothing wrong with her. She's totally recovered from the fight with Jupiter."

"I'm going to take care of this," Rubeus insisted.

"If this were Mars we were talking about, would you be so eager to go?" Cooan hissed, her fingers curling and her purple nails sliding out from underneath her cuticle. The difference in length was slight, but it was nonetheless unmistakable. The cat was drawing out its claws.

"If it were Mars, I likely wouldn't be talking to you right now, period," Rubeus reminded her, his voice rising.

Cooan took another bold step forward, putting them in a situation where their faces were only inches apart. "You know what I mean."

Rubeus let out a loud yell and threw the watch to the ground. Then he reached up with both hands and pulled the neck of his vest down as far as the fabric would stretch. He saw Cooan fight to keep from looking at the skin to see the scar they were all so familiar with. A circular mark two inches in diameter on the right side of his chest from where a chain of gold had ripped through him. It was the wound that had sent their group retreating from the palace that day, the one that allowed the Guardian Senshi to make it to the Crystal Tower in time to bring up a barrier that blocked the second wave of the aerial assault, the one marked him forever as something less than what he was.

"This is what she left on my body!" Rubeus reminded her, his voice echoing inside the chamber. "Her chain and her power and _my_ body!" His tense fingers wanted to release the damp fabric, but he had no idea what else they might wrap around if they weren't there. "So yes, it is different. Because now, I just don't want to beat her. I want to _obliterate _her I want to leave her twisted and broken and begging me for her life."

"You want her dead!" Cooan yelled, shaking her head.

Rubeus sneered darkly, turning his face away from her. He was still shaking from his outburst, but he was quickly covering that up. He couldn't lose his temper. His anger had to be preserved for what was important, and it had to be concealed from those too stupid to realize just how dangerous he was. "Don't act noble. It doesn't suit you."

Cooan stuttered for a second, her cheeks turning red. She gestured sharply, whipping her arm around her to point to where the four Sailor Senshi sat, waiting for their true purpose in this venture to be revealed. "Of course I want those girls dead, Master Rubeus, but I know what will happen if they perish one moment before Prince Demando gives the order."

"If you know that, then you've done all you can," Rubeus answered easily, forcing his voice to be closer to quiet than he cared to. "You've warned me, you've yelled, and you have come dangerously close to insubordination. If anything happens, you're absolved." Thinking that was the end of it, he turned to leave.

He was surprised when Cooan's fingers closed around the fist that contained the communicator. He turned his head sharply, glaring over his shoulder to see what she possibly could have wanted with him after all that. His anger was not stopped, but when he saw her look away so he couldn't see her expression clearly in the shadows, he felt satisfaction, and that was enough to hold any further outburst at bay. What's more, he was shocked to see a single tear hovering on her pale skin glinting in the dim light.

Shocked, but amused nonetheless.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," Cooan admitted quietly. "You might have brought his precious Sailor Moon in one piece, but if you deviate from the order… I'm scared of what might happen." Then she took a deep breath and glared into his eyes defiantly, her violet eyes watery, but still full of their same fire.

It was almost sweet, her concern for him. He was never one to appreciate such overtures of affection, but he assumed that if that was the sort of thing he enjoyed, he would have liked this. As it stood, he saw all of her words as nothing more than validation of his tactics when it came to Cooan. Her admiration for him had not faded, and he found himself extremely grateful that even through the haze of pain Venus had caused him during the attack on Crystal Tokyo, he had noticed how deeply Cooan was affected by his injuries. Until he had learned of her foolish crush, she had been one of the hardest of the sisters to control. That was why he saw all of these overtures and conversations as irritating, but tolerable.

"Is it so wrong to want to protect you from yourself, Master Rubeus?"

But _that_ could not be allowed.

While he normally took the time to be calculating with the four Akayashi Sisters, Rubeus wasted no time in raising his hand and propelling it forward, putting nearly all of his weight into the blow. The back of his hand struck her cheek hard, eliciting a loud shriek and tiny spurt of crimson that shot into the air. Cooan stumbled under the force of the blow, trying to keep her balance. In the end, she slipped on the mess on the floor, her clothes and skin becoming hopelessly stained with her sister's blood. She cupped her face with a wet hand, staring up at him with shock and disbelief.

Rubeus stood trembling above her, almost physically restraining himself from doing much more damage. It had been so long since he'd been allowed to strike out. The violence was as intoxicating as ever, and it was painful for him to hold back. But he knew that even though his rage was righteous, there was another far more deserving of it than one of his allies. One of his pawns.

"I do not need your protection," Rubeus seethed, the muscles in his back twisting themselves into knots. "I will never need _anything_ from you."

There was more he could have said, more he could have done to completely crush her beneath his weight and fury. He knew he could have killed her in an instant, and somehow, that knowledge seemed to calm him. Reassurance of his power always had a soothing effect on him. And while he didn't need the reassurance, it was clear that other people needed to be reminded constantly.

But now Cooan knew his limits, though she didn't know the extent of his strength. She knew only enough to keep her from making a similar mistake again, or so he hoped. He didn't have time to play her childish games and encourage her insipid emotional needs.

His message clear, Rubeus turned and left. After all, he had a quarry to uncover.

He had vengeance to satisfy.

-----

After Rubeus had gone, Cooan still sat on the floor, clutching the bruising skin and bleeding lip he had left behind. Water clung to her eyelashes that surrounded eyes that were widened with the shock of his blow. She just sat there, shaking and breathing, an occasional whimper accompanying.

She had only been trying to help. She just didn't want him to get hurt thanks to an inability to control his temper. That had always been a danger the four of them had been preparing themselves to face. They all knew the day might come when Rubeus couldn't stand sitting around, running things from a distance. They all knew he might storm from the ship to take matters into his own hands, and they all knew that this could not be allowed.

There was a damn good reason Rubeus hadn't been sent on this mission by himself. True, he was an incredible general, but he had a lust for blood that could not be controlled by anyone. He was the only one capable of leading this operation, and Prince Demando and his brother, Sapphir, had hoped that having four underlings would be enough to keep Rubeus from stepping into the field.

They were wrong.

And now, Rubeus was marching out to track down the last member of their quarry. Even in her shock, Cooan knew that there was only a slim chance that he would bring Venus back alive. He was too far gone to be talked down now. Even if they were able to, Beruche's calm, Petz's strength, and Karaberas's cunning would not be enough to tie him down. He was going out himself, and Cooan knew only disaster could come from that.

She had tried to tell him this, and all she had gotten in return for her concern was the sting of his palm.

She shoved her hands into the feathers of her skirt, burying the white into the purple that tickled. Her fingers trembled between the soft material, her eyes squeezing shut but refusing to let the tears fall. He had already made her cry the day before. It had been wasteful then. She'd used them up on a time when she should have been allowed to weep. And now that she was presented with the opportunity again, she wasn't going to take advantage of it. She would hold everything in and hope that it slipped away.

Suddenly, Cooan heard the sound of her sister's heels clacking against the floor. They seemed to start closer than they should have, and that could only mean one thing: Petz had seen the whole thing and now came the mockeries and the "I told you so's." Petz might not have been the sister Cooan most dreaded being caught looking like this, but she wasn't the one she was least concerned about either.

She was covered in that sister's blood.

Cooan felt like she was about to choke on her own air, so she forced herself to speak. "Save it, Petz," she muttered darkly, taking a long, shuddering breath. "I don't need your lecturing right now. Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean that you have to rub it in."

Petz stopped walking, her final movement echoing in the virtually empty chamber. A few seconds passed in relative silence, the sound fading away even though Cooan swore she could still hear it resonating in her ears. She was half-tempted to cover them up, but she knew that wouldn't do anything to stop it.

Finally, she heard Petz exhale. It could have been a sigh.

"Do you understand now?" she asked, her voice laced with her normal venomous irritation and yet so much softer than Cooan could ever remember hearing it.

Her back straightened in surprise at the unexpected and uncharacteristic version of tenderness. It might not have been gentle by normal standards, but in terms of Petz's behavior, it was the equivalent of an embrace. It shook Cooan's foundations, making her feel like everything had gone topsy-turvy. Like the ground was caving in beneath her feet.

She turned around to demand what Petz was playing at, but by the time she completed her revolution, Petz had vanished. That left Cooan still sitting on the floor, her knees drawn close to her body and her throat burning with the effort to hold back her tears. She breathed loudly, eyes darting around for a hint of a moving shadow to show that Petz hadn't completely abandoned her, but there wasn't anything to see.

Cooan had never felt so much like the youngest in all her life.

-----

Mamoru found himself staring in disbelief. His legs told him that he ought to run (although really, they had been reaffirming both Venus and Sailor Moon – Minako and Usagi – from the moment they told him to leave). His stomach told him to be sick at the carnage he'd just seen and the blood staining the dirt as a reminder. And his head told him that this wasn't happening, couldn't possibly be happening, because even though he knew that nightmares breathed in Tokyo, they weren't part of his life. They were just something he happened to run into from time to time, just like anyone else who happened to live in the Juuban district.

But he didn't do any of those things. He just stared because it was what required the least amount of effort and thought. If he stared, maybe he could just freeze things, and he wouldn't have to think about how Usagi and the others were gone.

Naturally, his catatonic state couldn't last for very long. He may have been partial to his brooding habits, but he wasn't one to withdraw when he was needed. And when he saw Venus's knees start to give way again, he couldn't deny the fact that she needed help, although he couldn't provide the level she really needed.

Nevertheless, Mamoru moved forward, awkwardly grabbing her around the shoulders with one arm in an attempt to keep her up right. He knew better than to ask if she was all right, but he was having a hard time coming up with an alternative.

However, she didn't give him the chance to make a fool of himself verbally. The second his fingertips touched her bruised forearm, she recoiled as if his fingers had been on fire or like his touch was the equivalent of death. "Don't touch me!" she yelled as she pulled away, eyes blazing at the insult. She even went so far as to cross her arms in front of her chest, physically barring him from making anymore contact, as if she was afraid words weren't enough.

"Okay, okay." He held up his hands, catching the way they shook out of the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I just…" his voice trailed off as he continued to try and find an alternative to asking about her health. Finally, he called upon the pre-med student portion of his brain, going into specifics. "Do you feel dizzy or anything? Or like you're going to be sick?"

The look she gave him made it clear that it had still been a mistake. "I just got used as some crazy girl's punching bag, and my best friends are gone, at her mercy and other people like her – maybe worse. How do you think I feel?"

He closed his eyes, hanging his head a bit. In reports about the Sailor Senshi he had bothered to read, there was always some debate on just what her element was supposed to be. The others seemed fairly clear, but hers was always subject to question. One person had hypothesized that it was metal because of its connection to Venus. Hearing her voice cut into him like a diamond-tipped knife made him certain that this was the case.

He swallowed and said, "I'm just trying to make sure I don't need to take you to a hospital."

When he opened his eyes, hoping to see that this concern would placate her, Mamoru was severely disappointed. If anything, the intimation had made things even worse. "Do you think I have time to sit in a hospital right now?" she snapped, reaching up and unconsciously touching the open cut on her cheek. "I don't even have time to be talking to you."

Mamoru sighed, throwing his arms out. "All right. So what do we do? You tell me."

She stared at him in utter disbelief. Until that moment, Mamoru had always thought that the term "jaw drop" was an unrealistic expression. "What do _we_ do?"

Mamoru paused, realizing his mistake. He hadn't even really meant to say that actually. He'd meant to ask what she was going to do, because it was painstakingly clear that there was nothing he could do. He was good at dodging and nothing more. He took a step backward, the force of her anger propelling him out of shooting range. "I meant--"

"You can't do anything, Mamoru!" Venus shouted, jerking her hands down to her sides. "You're dead weight, something Usagi and I had to watch out for when we should have been thinking about the fight.

"And do you know what you should have done, Mamoru?" she asked him, her voice starting to waver. He was quite sure he was going to see her start sobbing at any minute, and fourteen-year-old girl or no, there was something about seeing a Senshi cry that turned his stomach. "You should have run when I told you to run. Or you should have remembered when you were supposed to. Better yet, you should have never even come into her life at all so that you didn't hurt her like this! You've _destroyed_ her!

"I didn't do anything wrong!" he insisted, knowing that it sounded unbelievable even as he said it. If what they were telling him was true, and all things considered, he was going to have to assume that it was, he must have done something to cause all this mess. Maybe it wasn't entirely his fault, but he couldn't be totally blameless. He didn't believe in that sort of thing, so he didn't know why he said that.

"You were born!" Venus shrieked bitterly, advancing on him. "That's enough."

That in particular stung, and he couldn't help being overwhelmed by the smell of sea water and the sound of screeching tires. He felt closed in, like metal was crashing around him, and he shuddered from his feet upwards, now really wanting to be sick. Desperate for a change of subject, he hissed, "I didn't know that I was involved."

"Would you have wanted to be if you had known?" Venus demanded, her cheeks flushing with anger. "If you had remembered that you were Prince Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen, and Tsukikage no Knight, would you have wanted to help us?"

Mamoru shook his head, knowing this line of questioning was unfair. "And can you honestly tell me that when you were three, you told your mother than you wanted to do something where you could die every day?"

"I'd rather be dead than a coward!" Venus told him, throwing platitudes in his face when he wanted answers.

"You can't blame me for not wanting this, and you can't blame me for running away because I didn't!" Mamoru insisted. "I didn't know there was anything to run away from."

Venus shook her head adamantly, refusing to give up any ground. "You abandoned us. We needed you, and you were nowhere. All we got was a white shadow of who you were, and not even all of you. Just a piece of your soul that got free. But we need you, all of you. _She_ needs you."

"What makes me so important?" Mamoru challenged, wanting to know if she could tell him why he was born with this burden he couldn't even remember.

"Because she loves you!" Venus screamed, literally hurling herself forward into his chest. He staggered back to keep from falling, but he never laid a hand on her. She was the one swinging, pummeling her fists into his chest. The blows hurt quite a bit more than he would have expected from her small frame, and it was all happening so quickly that he didn't immediately react. "Because she always loved you, nevermind that it brought down a civilization, nevermind that you were nothing but cruel to her when you first met, nevermind that you tried to kill her – kill all of us, although I'm the only who seems to remember that."

Finally, Mamoru started to get his wits about him. He brought his hands up, trying to catch her wrists between his fingers and failing miserably at the endeavor. Every time he came close, she pulled back with surprising force and landed another hit, each stronger than the last. He scarcely had time to register what she was saying, or note that unsurprisingly, he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Fine," Mamoru said loudly, feeling like his voice had to carry over the sound of his own beating. "Then I'll just leave. Stay out of her life and far away from you." At the moment, he couldn't think of anything he would have liked better.

Venus shook her head again, her shoulders heaving as the crying finally started. "You don't understand. I can't let you out of my sight now. You're my responsibility now that she's gone!"

Mamoru blinked, not comprehending this at all. "But why?"

Venus took a long, shuddering breath, drawing her left hand back for yet another hit. But she paused just before she would have pushed it forward, her chest heaving and her breathing dangerously close to hyperventilating. After a moment, Mamoru saw it regulate, paying attention to that rather than the tears he knew were coursing down her cheeks. He could sense the fight and the fury slipping out of her body with every breath, and while he knew that her resentment of him was far from gone, he at least wouldn't have to be worried about her hitting him again for as long as he was with her.

"Because she loves you," Venus concluded in a defeated one. Her left hand fell uselessly at her side, the fingers of her right hand curling and gripping his shirt. Her head slumped forward, resting on the top of his rib cage. She looked like she could barely stand, but he made no move to help her. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

"She's already furious with me," Venus confessed quietly, her whispering voice chilling him from the inside out. "You see, she heard me telling Makoto that I didn't think you two were right for each other. She's been obsessed with getting you back, especially after what happened with Ail and Ann and the Makaiju and you still not remembering. I didn't… I didn't like watching it, and I don't like you."

Mamoru found it completely unbelievable that she was telling him this. He'd never actually heard a person so candidly and solemnly express their dislike for him. Normally, it was said loudly at a bar after he'd accidentally hit on someone's girlfriend or someone's girlfriend purposefully hit on him.

"She heard it, and she hit me, and we haven't really spoken since," Venus went on. "Well, we've yelled at each other… And Ami and Rei weren't there to fix things, and Makoto was sticking by Usagi… She said she needed her more than I did, and I guess she was right. I didn't mind losing you, but Usagi could barely live with it.

"If I abandoned you now, she'd really never forgive me. Don't you see? You're in danger. Beruche or Petz – Petz more likely – will tell everyone else that a man was with me. It won't take them very long to figure out who you are, and then they'll be after you too."

Mamoru's mouth became as dry as dust. He hadn't given that any consideration. He'd been too floored by the revelations, Usagi's disappearance, and Minako's breakdown. But he couldn't deny that she was right. Because he'd stayed, he'd been seen, and now he was in danger. He should have been able to think that far ahead. He'd certainly had enough time standing around and doing nothing.

His shoulders sagged, his hands still remaining as far away from her body as he could manage. "So, I repeat my earlier question… What do we do now?"

He blinked as he saw the jewel on her brow begin to glow. Then he saw it spread to the rest of the body, and he quickly figured out what was going on. Although he had watched her transform without thinking much of it, now that they were alone and standing much closer together, he found his head jerking away as the transformation vanished in a golden shimmer and falling stars. Once he felt the heat subside, he turned back, watching as Minako took a few steps away from him. She looked up into his eyes, and he saw they were still wet with tears and red besides, but the worst of her outburst was finally over.

"Do you have your car?" she asked, her voice a bit hoarse.

"Yeah," Mamoru answered after a bit of stammering, gesturing in the general direction of where he'd left it parked. "Yeah. Where do you need to go?"

Minako walked past him without saying anything, prompting him to follow her. After a second, she said, "My place. I need to get as patched up as I can manage. There's no telling how long it'll be until they come after us again. Actually, I'm surprised we've lasted this long." She paused, and he could tell by the set of her shoulders that things were even more dire than he already knew. "And I need to tell Luna and Artemis what happened."

Mamoru wanted to point out that the two names she had just given him belonged to cats, but considering everything that had just happened, he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut.

It was a short walk back to where he had parked, and it was a very good idea that they had decided to walk back when they did. While many people had probably been aware of the on-going battle, people were just now becoming brave enough to venture into the area. Police and other official-looking people accompanied the gawking spectators, and the sight of so many of them made him nervous. He felt sure they would see the cuts Minako sported or the dust and bruises that he felt he was covered in, but they never looked their way. They presumed that they had nothing to do with whatever fantastic and terrible event had just occurred, and they were thusly ignored.

It was a phenomenon that amazed him, but it was no surprise that Minako didn't seem the least bit phased. She was quite used to all of this. Of that he was certain.

After about five minutes, they reached the parking lot. They both climbed in as Minako gave him basic directions to her house. He was vaguely familiar with the area, and he was confident he wouldn't have to constantly bother her about where they were meant to go after every turn. He turned the ignition and pulled out of the lot, his foot just a bit too heavy on the gas, his hands gripping the wheel just a bit too hard.

As much as he knew he ought to be using the driving time to sort through everything that was going on, he shoved all those thoughts aside. He longed to quiet his mind, although he didn't protest when Minako immediately reached forward and turned on the radio, keeping the volume low enough so that they could just barely hear it, the perfect amount of background noise. He didn't want to talk and he didn't want to think. He just wanted to drive and allow himself to sink into the monotonous activity that was now practically second nature to him. It was all he was asking for at the moment.

Still, he couldn't help himself from having at least one pondering on the drive. When they were stuck at a particularly long light, he happened to glance over at Minako. He saw that her knees were drawn up onto the seat, her arms wrapped around them in a self-embrace. Her head had fallen against the car window, her eyes closed and shutting out the hustle and bustle of Japan in the late afternoon.

And he couldn't help but think that the world resting on her shoulders must have felt unbearable.

-----

After what felt like hours and hours of weeping, Usagi finally managed to calm herself down enough to breathe without choking. She was still in Makoto's arms, her face buried in her now damp lap. But she was surrounded by warmth on all sides with Ami on her left, stroking her hair, and Rei on her right, clutching one of her hands in a near death grip.

Finally, able to speak again, Usagi pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her muscles ached in protest, but she couldn't stay still forever. She looked at all three of her friends in turn, giving them a watery smile in spite of everything that was going on. She took a deep breath and spoke, her voice thick from the tears she'd spent so long shedding. "I'm so happy you're all okay."

Rei made a noise at that, but both Ami and Makoto gave her a look Usagi didn't understand. Whatever the meaning was behind it, the effect was obviously one they had intended. Rei leaned forward, resting her forehead on Usagi's. "I never wanted to see you like this. None of us did."

"We're alive," Ami reminded them, as if this was something they could easily forget. "That's the important thing."

"And what's more important is that Minako isn't here," Rei continued, her violet eyes sparking to life. Usagi closed her eyes hearing Rei bring her up. It was a fair point, but Usagi didn't want to think about her. Just like she didn't want to think about the fact that she'd left Mamoru alone, and that she had no way of knowing that he was still all right.

Makoto shook her head, looking skeptical. "We don't know they aren't getting close."

"Didn't you hear that commotion earlier?" Rei said, voice tinged with her usual impatience. "They didn't get her, and apparently she did some damage since Petz came tearing through here for that salve. I don't know how she's managed to slip through their fingers twice, but she's done it. And that means we still have a chance."

Makoto looked at Rei, green eyes hardened. "And you think she'll be able to do it a third time?"

"She has been a soldier longer than any of us has," Ami pointed out quietly, no doubt sensing the growing tension between Rei and Makoto that Usagi also couldn't help but notice. While Usagi was choosing to ignore it, Ami was doing her best to diffuse it. "So it's possible."

"But it isn't possible that she'll be able to come up here and save us by herself," Makoto said harshly. "Minako isn't any more powerful than the rest of us. She can't fly. She can't heal herself. She can't blow things up with her mind. She's just got a Crescent Beam to throw around and her kicks. She can't stage a rescue with just that."

"She's not by herself," Usagi said suddenly, her voice quiet. She had stupidly not realized that her friends had no idea about what had just happened back at the park. They couldn't know that Mamoru was even out of the hospital, much less the fact that he had been there for the battle. And that he had saved her again, a memory that left her heart fluttering in spite of all the peril she was in.

Ami looked at her, her brow furrowed. "Well, we know Luna and Artemis are there, Usagi, but--"

"I meant Mamoru," Usagi admitted, interrupting. "He's with her now."

Makoto, the one who was most intimately aware of Minako's feelings about Mamoru other than Usagi, went absolutely white. "He what?"

"When did he get out of the hospital?" Rei asked hurriedly. "Is he all right? Is he hurt? What happened?"

"He called me earlier to tell me he'd been released," Usagi explained, her head spinning from all of Rei's rapid-fire questions. "He said he wanted to meet with me. I thought it was about his memories, but…" Her face fell then, her shoulders drooping so that her back hurt. "He still doesn't remember anything."

Ami reached forward, laying her hands over Usagi's. Usagi looked up into Ami's eyes, so kind and compassionate for her problems where Minako's had seemed cold and heartless. "I'm sorry, Usagi. But I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

Usagi nodded, more sure of this than Ami realized. "Yes, he will. Because I told him."

Even though no one else had been talking before, when Usagi finished that thought, the group seemed to be blanketed by heaving, suffocating silence. It was the sort of quiet filled with too many emotions, so many that it almost felt like it was taking up all of the space above their heads where the air should have been. It was also the sort of silence that always, always came just before a very loud outburst.

"Excuse me?" Rei asked loudly, her brows furrowing together. "What do you mean you told him?!"

Usagi blinked, unsure of why Rei had to ask this of all things. "I mean--"

"I know what you meant!" Rei snapped unreasonably.

Ami sighed, looking about as weary as Usagi had ever seen her. "I think what Rei's saying is that we talked about this, Usagi. We said that if we just tell Mamoru about the fight with the Dark Kingdom and everything else, we may end up doing more harm than good. It could bring on a flood of recollections too quickly and he could be overwhelmed. What's more, he could wind up creating false memories based on our perceptions, and that could irrevocably damage any sort of relationship we're going to have with him in the future."

"But he asked me!" Usagi insisted, leaning forward. "He said that weird things have been happening… Strange dreams that I know have to be connected with his memories." Usagi soured considerably. "And then Minako had to go and say something to Motoki after they were attacked--"

"Motoki was with her?" Makoto asked, her voice rising in pitch and thick with panic. "Is he all right?"

Usagi sighed, hanging her head, knowing that Makoto was not going to take this news well. Even though it was clear to all of them that Motoki was going to remain ever faithful to his girlfriend in Africa, it was no secret that Makoto was always going to carry a very small torch for Furuhata Motoki. And if that was taking it too far, he was always going to be special to her, probably more special than he was to any of them. "He's in the hospital."

Makoto's face turned ashen white. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth, and Usagi was convinced she was about to be sick.

She rushed to lean forward, grasping Makoto by her shoulders. "He's going to be all right! Mamoru made it sound like it was just a precaution…"

This did very little to improve Makoto's disposition. She hunched her shoulders and ducked her head, looking like she was ready to lash out at the first enemy who came her way. And considering their captors were to blame for what had happened, Usagi knew that this mood of hers was dangerous. "Why was he even there?"

Usagi's fingers relaxed on Makoto's shoulders. She might have needed a tighter grip, but Usagi couldn't focus enough to provide it. "I think he was walking Minako home."

Makoto got even more stiff and then suddenly vaulted to her feet, pacing the length of the room. "Can't that girl walk herself home!"

Ami looked up at Makoto pleadingly. She didn't want to deal with another outburst, and Usagi knew she definitely didn't want anyone coming down here to investigate all the noise. "Makoto, this isn't Minako's fault."

"He shouldn't have been there!" Makoto snapped, paying Ami no attention. "And she should have been able to protect him."

"He was probably protecting her," Ami said reasonably.

Makoto stamped her foot, her white cheeks flushing red. "She's the one with all the power!"

"He doesn't know that!" Rei interrupted loudly. She turned back to Usagi and nodded her head, "Get back to Mamoru. There's nothing we can do about either him or Motoki, but we need to know about Mamoru more right now."

The words sounded strange coming out of Rei's mouth, but Usagi quickly realized she was trying to prevent Makoto from having another conniption. And she was right anyway. Mamoru was more important than Motoki. "Minako had warned Motoki off. He must have been asking questions about why we were all being targeted, and she said he was in danger… I think she must have scared him. Mamoru seemed pretty scared when I talked to him as well."

Ami nodded, looking very grave. She leaned against the wall of the cell, glancing up at the ceiling. "So you told him the truth because he asked for it."

"I wasn't going to lie," Usagi maintained.

"It would have been better for him if you did," Rei said, brutally honest as always.

Usagi shook her head. "If I hadn't given him some warning, being caught up in that fight might have brought back some kind of flashback. That would have horrible."

"What you said to him could have triggered it worse than the fight," Rei accused, refusing to cut her the slightest bit of slack given their current circumstances. She refused to spare her, even when Usagi needed to be spared.

"And why was _he_ there?" Makoto voiced, echoing her earlier question. "Why didn't he leave the second Beruche arrived?"

Usagi pushed a hand into her bangs regretfully. "I don't know. Minako and I tried, but he wouldn't budge." She paused, that same fond smile winding its way around her lips. "He even protected me. And then when Beruche tried to hurt him, I did the same. It's just like before."

Rei sighed, quickly losing whatever little patience she had left. She had been tender just minutes before, but now that it was clear that Usagi had done something she didn't approve of, it was as if they had just met and Rei could barely stand to look at her. "It's not like before, Usagi. And it might not ever be like before."

Ami and Makoto both visibly stiffened at this prediction. Heads instantly snapped in Usagi's direction, waiting for a reaction.

They were not disappointed.

"Of course everything will be like it was!" Usagi shouted, scrambling to her feet in hopes of exacting some superiority over her friend, get her to listen to reason. "Mamoru _will_ remember and we _will_ be together again. Everything's going to be all right. I admit that I doubted that for awhile, but now I know. He saved me and he stayed with me and that's because deep, deep down, he knows that he loves me."

"Will you listen to yourself?" Rei yelled, getting to her feet as well, overtaking any ground that Usagi had. "I let you wallow before because I thought you needed it, but now I see what a mistake that was. Usagi, you are expecting the impossible. Too much has happened to turn back the clock. Mamoru has changed from when he was Tuxedo Kamen, and even if Tsukikage no Knight's essence returned, you can't undo however Mamoru has developed since then. Yes, he saved you from the Makaiju. Yes, he put himself through hell for you, but that doesn't mean that he's going to wake up when his memories come back and profess his love for you!"

Usagi started shaking with anger. She didn't want to hear this. She couldn't hear this sort of thing, not again. It had been bad enough coming from Minako, who Usagi had to admit, was an unexpected source, but hearing it from Rei now was just too much. "Why not? Why can't I expect that?"

"You didn't fall in love with him because you remembered he was Endymion," Rei insisted, punctuating every syllable so that she was sure Usagi got the point. "Say what you want about how you couldn't stand him until you knew he was Tuxedo Kamen, you'd been falling in love with him since the moment you met him."

Usagi's cheeks colored at the accusation. "That isn't true."

"Yes, it is. I was there, remember?" Rei reminded her. "Do you think I didn't notice how you looked at him? Do you think I missed all those times I turned around on a date with him and saw you duck behind a bush? And do you think that I wouldn't read into all the times you tried to push Yuuichirou and I together when I was still with Mamoru?" She shook her head adamantly. "I'm not bitter about what happened there, Usagi. I knew that something was developing before I let myself admit in that last fight with Zoisite. You cared about him too much; his opinions mattered too much. You were always aware of him and always running into him and… Well, of course you fell in love with him after all that, and finding out who he was reinforced that. But it wasn't what made you want to be with him. Because he isn't Endymion and he isn't even Tuxedo Kamen anymore. He's Chiba Mamoru, he's a human being, and you can't expect all of that to change just because you want it to."

Usagi had literally put her hands over her ears during Rei's tirade, although it did nothing to block out Rei's accusations. She hated being in this position. She couldn't stand that Rei thought she could throw her opinions around as fact, especially when they were _wrong_. She was in love with Tuxedo Kamen first, and Endymion long before that. She loved Mamoru because of who he was, and surely that meant the same thing would happen to him. Why was that so hard to understand?

Rei scoffed at the end of her speech and reached forward, yanking her wrists and pulling them from her face. Even though she was more likely to hear now, she still raised her voice as she yelled, "Don't you get it? You can't rely on his memories to make him love you. And you can't force the past on him just because you want that."

Usagi shut her eyes and whirled away from Rei, pulling her hands free from her grasp. She whimpered and hugged herself tightly, shaking her head rapidly. "Stop it! Don't say things like that! You sound like Minako, and I--"

"Minako?" Rei interrupted, sounding surprised. "What does any of this have to do with Minako?"

Usagi blinked, straightening. She looked over her shoulder, eyebrows raised in question. "You didn't tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Rei asked, her voice dropping an octave as a warning for what might come next. "What's going on?"

Usagi thought that Ami now looked like she could hardly keep her head up. As if in response to this image of Usagi's, Ami put her face in her hands, heaving an incredibly long sigh. "Minako said much of the same thing to Usagi--"

"She said that we weren't meant to be together!" Usagi corrected, the old fury coming back now that Ami was bringing it up. She had been willing to try and let things go earlier, even regretting everything she had said and done back at Hikawa that first day and then later. But the indignation over Minako's opinion and the absolute wrongness of it never faded in her mind. And now that Rei was ripping open wounds that had barely had a chance to heal, Usagi could hardly remember what it felt like to want Minako in her life.

"From what I understand, there was some sort of disagreement," Ami continued, keeping her voice level. "And apparently, neither of them have spoken since."

Rei stared at Ami as if she had just sprouted a tail. "Are you meaning to tell me that Minako – _Aino Minako_ – told Usagi that she shouldn't be such a hopeless romantic about this?"

Ami nodded. "It is strange, isn't it?"

"You mean it's like I've woken up in Bizarro World," Rei corrected sharply. She looked over at Makoto and said, "Did you know about this?"

Makoto leaned against the back wall, hanging her head a bit. "I was there when it happened."

Unsurprisingly, this revelation was what started to make Rei's face turn colors. "And no one thought to tell me this?"

"It seemed trivial by comparison," Ami soothed. "Not to mention the fact that I was hoping that the whole issue would blow over by the time we saw Minako or Usagi again."

"Well, obviously, it hasn't," Rei said testily. She turned back to Usagi, once again redirecting her frustration at her. "Why in the name of all things reasonable have you let this go on?"

Usagi narrowed her eyes. Rei was no doubt expecting to get her backed into a corner, crying for sympathy, but that wasn't going to happen. If she wanted to take Minako's side, fine. But that meant that she was going to get treated just like Minako, and probably worse all things considered. "She wouldn't admit she was wrong."

Rei rolled her eyes so far back into her head it gave Usagi a headache. "Yes, because it's so common for people to say they were mistaken when they were _correct in every aspect_."

"She said he didn't want to remember on purpose," Usagi maintained. "And I can't believe that of him."

Rei threw her hands up. "Fine. Maybe not every aspect, but Usagi, there's this thing that exists between people who get into arguments. It's called _compromise_, and--"

"You have never compromised in your life," Usagi accused.

"That's not the point," Rei snapped, obviously deciding it was better to not try to refute that point. "Everyone was getting kidnapped. You two were left on your own. You can't honestly say that you thought it was better to be angry with each other."

Usagi opened her mouth, but there really wasn't a good way to answer that. The truth was, she hadn't liked being at odds with Minako, particularly when it was just the two of them. But that didn't mean that she was willing to give up any ground on her position.

"I never would have let her get hurt," Usagi said in a low voice. "I came and helped her with the woman who attacked her. I never, ever would have let anything happen to her. Not when I'd already lost all of you."

Rei held her hands up as if this was some great revelation on Usagi's part. "So why would it have been so hard for you to just let it go?"

Usagi stared at Rei for a minute before finally turning back around, staring out through the bars of their cage and into the green darkness, searching for an escape from it all even though she knew one couldn't exist. "Could you have let it go?"

Rei didn't answer. After a moment, Usagi heard the sound of her hands dropping to her sides. A moment later, she heard footsteps wandering away from her, moving to a corner as far away from her as possible.

It struck Usagi that while a few minutes before they had been as physically close as their bodies could allow, now they had all staked out their corners, keeping their distance from the only friends they had in this cruel, dark place.

It was more than enough to make her cry again.

-----

After leaving Cooan to her own devices, Petz slowly made her way to the ship's main computer, where she knew she would find Rubeus tracking Sailor Venus down for the final showdown. Although she knew the news she carried wasn't the sort of thing she should drag her feet about, after seeing his confrontation with Cooan, Petz felt she couldn't be blamed for not being prompt about it. To begin with, she was quite sure Cooan was right in just about every aspect of the situation. Rubeus ought not to be allowed to go after any of their quarry themselves, particularly the only one left. The only person she would have been more wary about allowing Rubeus to retrieve was Sailor Moon. She supposed in that regard it was a lucky break that she hadn't left the leader of their band for the last as they had originally intended. Because of these opinions, she was in no mood to see Rubeus, knowing that it was going to be difficult to keep her thoughts to herself as well as being sure that it could just as easily be her with the split lip.

What's more, she would have liked nothing more than to rip his eyes out for having laid a hand on her little sister.

It was no secret that the Akayashi Sisters didn't get along. They may have been legendary assassins, but they were infamous when it came to their feuds. The in-fighting reached near catastrophic levels at times, and in their youth, there had been plenty of instances where they had nearly died at each others hands. They each bore each other's scars – Karaberas had a mark across her stomach from when she had tried to cheat at chess with Beruche, Beruche wore gloves thanks to one of Cooan's tantrums during her toddler years, and Petz had slashes across her thighs from when Karaberas had turned the whip on her. They had drawn each other's blood so often that if they hadn't actually been blood-related, they would have been bound from the crimson liquid intermixing through acts of violence.

But it was also well-known that no one laid a hand on a sister except for another sister. It was why the four of them could band together so easily against the Sailor Senshi. They were fiercely protective of one another. In a pinch, Petz might even find herself defending Karaberas, although the occasion for such a test had yet to arise.

Thus, seeing Rubeus dare to strike Cooan in her line of vision was the greatest of insults. Even if she hadn't seen it and only heard about it later, Petz had no doubts that her fingers would still be twitching with rage, longing to curl into a fist to hurl in his face and make him pay for what he had done. The desire for revenge heated her blood like Cooan's fire driving her on, moving her forward and driving her towards that one noble goal.

And yet she knew it was impossible.

She could not hope to stand against Rubeus by herself and survive it. Actually, it was unlikely that the four of them combined could live through the effort of attacking him. She had once seen him take out a twenty man battalion without breaking a sweat. It was often said that Rubeus was as deadly as he was handsome, but Petz had never thought this was true. He was far more lethal than his looks suggested.

So she didn't hurry to his side. She wandered for awhile, her footsteps echoing down hallway after hallways, crossing her own path again and again, until finally she could waste no more time. She reached her destination with trepidation, slowly pushing open the door.

"Master Rubeus?" she called, swallowing her fury like foul-tasting medicine. It was good for her, but she loathed it all the same.

He turned from where he was staring at the large screen, a bit surprised to see her standing there. Just seeing his face made her want to black his eye, and that's when she decided that it was probably best not to stand too close to him. "Petz. Shouldn't you be taking care of Beruche and Karaberas?"

"Not much to be done now except let them sleep," Petz explained, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "Besides, I remembered some information I thought you'd be interested in."

Rubeus turned back to look at the screen, his eyes immediately going to a gold dot blinking on the screen. Petz saw that it was moving rather quickly through the streets of Tokyo, which meant that she must have boarded some kind of vehicle after the fight with Beruche. "Say it then."

"She wasn't alone," Petz informed him soundly. "And from the looks of it, she still isn't."

"Was that flea-bag with her?" Rubeus asked cruelly, chuckling quietly.

Petz shook her head. "It was a man."

Rubeus stopped. He turned around completely now, and the look in his eyes assured her that she'd gotten his interested. "There was a man with her?"

She nodded. "And you know, it didn't occur to me immediately as I was a bit preoccupied, but I've given it a bit of thought and realized something…" In spite of all she would have liked to do to him at that moment, Petz could not stop the way the left corner of her mouth twisted upwards. "He rather resembled a certain monarch of Crystal Tokyo."

Rubeus stared at her in complete silence for a grand total of three seconds. Then, the chuckling started up again, but the volume quickly rose, echoing in this room as it would have all the others. And although Petz often kept her feelings about Rubeus restricted to caution only, she couldn't help but be just a tiny bit afraid at the sight of him throwing his head back, eyes filled with a kind of crazed fervor she had seen several times before.

The last time she'd seen it, he'd ripped someone's heart out with his bare hands.

"Perfect!" he lauded, providing an unsettling backdrop to the sickening image now overwhelming her sense. "Won't Prince Demando be pleased when I offer him the head of Endymion as an added bonus to what he demanded of us?"

He never actually gave her a chance to answer. He just spun around again to continue watching the gold dot on the screen, laughing all the while. And although Petz felt no sympathy for either Venus or Endymion, she couldn't help but think of how odd it was that they didn't even realize that they were racing towards their doom.

-----

"Artemis!" Minako called out frantically as she jogged into her house. "Luna!" She waited, her hand gripping the banister.

She had hoped that a few minutes resting in Mamoru's car would allow her time to recuperate, but it seemed that had been too much to wish for. She was too tense to even get close to storing up any energy for the fight she knew was coming. It would have been better if she thought she had any hope of winning it, but considering the separate beatings her body had already taken, she didn't have high hopes.

Of course, it would have infinitely better if Mamoru was nowhere to be found, but there was no sense even wasting time on that.

"Artemis!" she shouted again, hoping that the cat was just sleeping and having trouble waking up. But after letting a few more moments tick by, she had to admit the truth. He wasn't in the house. He'd probably met with Luna at some neutral location considering the war that was waging between their two owners.

Minako closed her eyes, banishing that thought from her head. That wasn't important now. What mattered was getting her back, and she was going to need both Luna and Artemis for that endeavor.

Even though it was going to make her sick watching Luna's face when she told her the news.

"They're not here," Minako said sadly as she heard Mamoru come in the door behind her.

"The cats?" he said, his voice still sounding a bit high. She'd stayed silent for most of the trip over, but it had occurred to her at the last moment that it was probably good to forewarn Mamoru about the talking cats. They weren't going to have time for him to adjust given everything else that was going on.

"Not my parents either, but that's not a surprise," Minako babbled tiredly. She quickly regretted having said anything about it. It was still impossible for her not to reference the two of them without extreme bitterness seeping into her tone.

She heard Mamoru close the door, and blessedly, he didn't comment. "Do you need any help getting fixed up?"

In reality, the answer was yes. Minako knew for certain that the cut on her back had opened up and was probably bleeding quite a bit after getting knocked into that tree trunk, and for that, she was going to need someone else to patch it up. However, there wasn't a moment to waste with such a large wound. She was going to have to deal with the smaller ones and hope she didn't lose much more blood that way.

"No," she said covering the gaping slash across her thigh again and hobbling into the kitchen. She hadn't realized it until Mamoru pointed it out in the car, but her entire leg was covered thanks to her negligence to tend to that cut. To be honest, in comparison to everything else, she'd barely registered the blood.

Minako crouched down and yanked the oft-used first aid kit out from underneath the sink. It was in moments like these that she was thankful for her parents because although her mother was paranoid enough to have purchased the thing, neither of them was accident prone enough so that they'd had to use it. They never noticed just how often Minako took advantage of the supplies and how rarely she was able to replenish it.

Thankfully, she'd had the presence of mind to do so the day after Rei had been kidnapped, sensing that it might come in handy in the near future. She had almost a full supply, save for what she'd used after the fight with Karaberas.

Minako looked up to see Mamoru walk into the room, taking a few seconds to glance around the house. She wondered what he'd comment on under normal circumstances for about half a second before she remembered the injury on his neck. It was just a bump so there wasn't much to be done about healing it, but she tossed him a bottle of aspirin nonetheless, feeling absurdly relieved when he caught it with one hand. "There's ice in the freezer."

"Better than in the cupboard," he said awkwardly.

Minako felt her stomach tighten at the levity, but then she'd been feeling some sort of reaction every time he opened his mouth. She couldn't get passed her resentment of him no matter what duties she felt towards him now, and the sound of his voice just reminded her again and again that she was stuck with him. She might have regretted losing it as much as she did back at the park, but was sure she'd never regret the way she felt about him. After all, she doubted it was going to change.

Minako put her foot up on the chair and pushed her skirt back to get a better look at the cut on her thigh. It looked even nastier than the night before and the dirt that had worked its way inside was not helpful. She quickly reached for the peroxide, unscrewing the top with one quick motion. Then, without giving herself too long to think about it, she poured the liquid onto the wound, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip and a high-pitched whimper squeaking from her throat.

Mamoru stuttered a bit. "Uh—So, as long as we're, you know, in this together, why don't you tell me just what's going on?"

Minako almost snapped at him, but it only took her a minute to realize what he was doing: trying to distract her from the inevitable pain of all this. She had to admit, much as she didn't want him to be there, she was grateful to him for that much. "Not that much to tell really… I don't know that much."

"You've still got an advantage over me," he pointed out, putting a handful of ice cubes into a plastic bag he'd found.

She sighed, reaching forward and grabbing gauze from inside the kit. She quickly set to wrapping her thigh, hoping once again that neither of her parents would sever anything in the near future. "Well, I know that our enemies are from the future."

There was a very long pause before Mamoru was able to answer that. "You mean like they traveled here in a time machine."

Minako shrugged. "Guess so."

It was obvious that Mamoru was having a hard time wrapping his head around this idea. "But that… It can't be possible. Not in our lifetime. Are you sure they aren't… lying?"

"They're apparently here to avenge us for whatever it is we do in the future," Venus muttered. "I don't see why they'd bother to lie about their motives if all they wanted was the Ginzuishou."

"The what?"

Minako paused, her shoulders drooping. She quickly shook her head and finished with the injury on her leg. "It'll take too long to explain. When you need to know what it is, you'll know."

It was to Mamoru's credit that he didn't press her. "How many people are after you?"

"Four that we know of," Minako said. "All women with the same mark on their foreheads."

"A black moon," Mamoru remembered solemnly. It seemed even without the benefit of his memories, he still felt something wrong about the symbol their enemies had chosen.

It was a comfort, even if it reminded her of the possibility that Mamoru was deliberately avoiding his duty. "I'd be willing to bet that there's someone they're answering to. The fact that they seemed to be going one at a time and that they have a tendency to overtake one another's operations makes me think there's someone they're trying to impress. But we haven't seen that person yet."

"Turn around."

Minako's heart leapt into her throat at the sound of his voice. Her eyes darted over to Mamoru, who had gone ghostly white at the sound. It took her a microsecond to register the purple tinge that overtook his skin tone, and another to realize that the cause wasn't anything natural. Minako leapt up and used the chair as a launch pad, catching Mamoru by the shoulders and pushing him to the ground.

They hit the linoleum floor hard, sliding across it and nearly making it back into the living room under the force of their weight. Minako felt something electric sail over their bodies, the edge of it singeing her back and making her cry out in pain. She looked up in time to see the attack, what looked like tiny clusters of bombs, impact the staircase she'd been standing beside just minutes before. It was completely decimated, and even though a great deal of dust clouded the air, she knew that she and Mamoru had been confined to the bottom floor.

She heard him chuckling from behind, and the sound of it practically made her want to vomit. It was a similar effect Kunzite had always had on her after the death of his lover. Zoisite's demise had changed him so that he was so driven that he never once had a chance for redemption and never had a moment of doubt in his endless pursuit to destroy them all. There had been something in his eyes that made her feel physically ill. There had been a depth to his hatred that she often wondered if Beryl had actually matched.

She heard that in this man's voice.

Minako pushed herself off Mamoru and crouched beside him, turning around to get a look at this new enemy. He was standing in her back doorway almost casually, seeming as though he could belong there by the sheer force of his will. Physically, the most striking feature about him was his hair, red brighter than blood and standing on his head as if it were styled by fire. She took note of his brown eyes, the combat boots on his feet, and the earrings he wore, ones she now realized were exactly like that worn by Karaberas, Beruche, and all the others. But no part of his looks could distract her from his voice, dripping with so much malice that she was surprised he didn't spit acid when he spoke.

"Who are you?" Mamoru demanded, starting to get to his feet. Apparently, he couldn't see what she could see, but then, he didn't have the bad memories. If Kunzite had left any scars on him from any in-fighting during Mamoru's days in the Dark Kingdom, he had no idea where they had come from.

"Crimson Rubeus," he answered without hesitating, pushing himself away from the doorframe.

That's when Minako remembered what Karaberas had said after she'd gotten caught in the whip. _'I can't believe how happy Master Rubeus is going to be when I bring you home. I rather think he likes blondes.' _She shuddered harshly and felt her adrenaline rush to every limb in panic. She'd been stupid to forget about it. If she hadn't, she would have known who their superior was and what kind of person to expect.

For the time being anyway, Rubeus didn't seem to notice the effect he was having on her. There was a glint in his eyes that almost made him look blind with his own glee for having caught them. "I've come to take care of the final hold-outs in this little game." His eyes slanted and darted over to bore directly into Mamoru's eyes. "Endymion."

Minako choked. He knew. She'd guessed that they'd figure it out, but she'd been hoping against all hope that she'd be wrong about that. Not for the first time that week, she despised being right. Minako got to her feet and physically put herself between the two men, swallowing hard. "You've got it wrong. He doesn't have anything to do with this."

Rubeus scoffed. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I had been banking on your stupidity," Minako shot back, deciding there was really no sense in trying to hide it. Even if Rubeus had possessed any doubts about Mamoru's identity originally, her reaction to hearing the name Endymion had certainly sealed it for them.

He laughed again, and Minako had to fight to stop the flinch. She was sure he hadn't missed that, even if she had been successful. "You know, _Venus_, if only you were a little more aware, you'd be less inclined to insult me." The chuckling came to such an abrupt stop that her stomach lurched. "That attack was meant to kill you."

Mamoru instantly moved out of Rubeus's line of vision before Minako even had to tell him to do it. She took one step back, following his retreating form with her eyes as she reached for her henshin wand. Her fingers wrapped around the orange rod just as she saw a strange flash from in front of her. She almost dove out of the way when she realized that it wasn't an attack.

It was a teleport.

She whirled around just in time to see Rubeus reappear directly in front of Mamoru. Her look had given him Mamoru's precise location. She could do nothing but watch as Rubeus lashed out with a kick Mamoru couldn't possibly have seen coming. The heel of his boot crashed into the back of his head, sending Mamoru sprawling to the ground. She started to call out to him, when she realized it was a useless effort. There was no way he could still be conscious.

With Mamoru temporarily out of the way, Rubeus turned his attention on her. His lips twisted into a cruel smile, making her stupidly think that his teeth were bones. "Alone at last."

_I rather think he likes blondes._

Minako narrowed her eyes and lifted her henshin wand aloft. "VENUS STAR POW--"

Rubeus moved so quickly he almost resembled a whirlwind, and while she might have been able to move away in the best of help, her reflexes weren't as good as they should have been. He spun towards her, kicking his other leg around with frightening precision. He connected directly with her wrist, sending the henshin wand flying away from her. She didn't have the opportunity to look to see where it landed. He was already swinging around with one of his fists, and it was likely to be with enough force to knock her out as soundly as he had done Mamoru.

Minako ducked down to avoid the blow, and countered with one of her own, propelling her fist into his ribcage. Punches already weren't her strong suit, and when she felt her knuckles impact with his stomach, which frankly rather resembled a brick wall, she decided to avoid any other moves like that for the remainder of the fight.

She drew back out of his reach, knowing that he could do her considerable damage if she stayed within range without planning a counterattack. Desperate to get away and retrieve her henshin wand so that she could actually do some damage, Minako banked on the only move she knew she could pull off. She ran at him and swung her left leg high, aiming for his chin. She wasn't the least bit surprised when she caught her ankle in his hand. He gave her a disappointed look, no doubt about to admonish her for her crappy hand-to-hand combat when she twisted her torso to the left as hard as she possibly could. This brought her right leg around, and this time, the kick hit home, striking him in the temple.

It was strong enough to send him staggering back, forcing him to release her. Her body did one dizzying revolution in the air before gravity forced her back down. She landed hard on her hands and knees, but she didn't waste time in wincing. She crawled forward and quickly as she could, heading in the direction she thought her wand had landed.

"Bitch," he hissed, entirely too close.

She started to leap forward, but he was too fast for her. His fingers closed around the ends of her hair, yanking hard. She shrieked in pain, reaching up to try and claw at his hands and kicking her legs feebly. He threw her down on the ground, temporarily knocking the wind out of her. That's when she saw him hovering above her and moving down, hands outstretched and reaching for her throat. Her eyes went wide, and she started to scream.

"Mamo--"

Her cry for help was cut off as his hands wound all the way around her neck, squeezing so tightly that she was sure he could crush her spine. Her fingers found his, nails tearing at his skin as the rest of her body seized up in terror. Within moments, he was straddling her, his body weight heavy on her legs. Her muscles all clenched as she realized that she was pinned and choking to death and she had no way to get out of this situation.

Rubeus laughed again, his eyes now completely crazed. He was absolutely terrifying, far worse than Kunzite had ever been because he had never actually managed to lay hands on her. Now she was slowly dying with this man hovering just inches away from her face, choking every breath from her body and taking the greatest pleasure in it.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this, Venus," Rubeus hissed. "One of my subordinates said that I was endangering myself by being so determined to break you in half. To be honest, I was beginning to think she might have a point.

"And that's when I was told that you hadn't been alone at that little skirmish where you sliced Beruche's neck." His grip on her neck constricted, making her arch her back in protest. She yanked at his arms as hard as she could, but they didn't even budge. "You weren't alone. A certain man was with you, who bore a resemblance to a future King of Earth."

Minako furrowed her brow at the title Rubeus had just given Mamoru. Did Rubeus know something about the Silver Millennium that they didn't? Had Prince Endymion actually become a King in his lifetime?

"And that's when I realized that I could do anything I want with you," Rubeus continued conversationally. "Prince Demando isn't going to care that I've killed you so long as I bring him the head of his greatest adversary."

Minako panicked. As much as she had realized that Rubeus would turn on Mamoru just as soon as she was finished, actually hearing it spurred her into action. She wasn't getting anywhere by attacking his hands, so she drew her arm back as far as she could, slugging Rubeus across the face. His head snapped in the opposite direction, and she saw his pale skin turn red, but other than that, it was like he didn't even register what had just happened.

Instead, he leaned down farther, trapping her right arm between their bodies. He was spread atop her in such a way that her skin felt like it was going to crawl off her bones. He placed his face to the right of hers, his breath hot on her ear. Then he whispered so softly that it could have almost sounded tender with different words.

"I could cut your heart out and fuck you until you're black and blue, and not one person would give a shit." He sank his teeth into her earlobe, tasting her blood.

Minako tried to scream, but no sound could escape her lips with the vice he had wrapped around her neck. She'd been fighting him the whole time, but now she attacked him with renewed forced. She pushed his upper body up off hers, surprising him mildly with the outburst. She pummeled her hands into his chest, striking him on the face and neck and kicking her legs beneath his weight, hoping to buck him off. When none of that worked, she reached up with fingernails poised, fully prepared to scratch his eyes out.

He turned his head just in time, but he couldn't prevent her from leaving five angry read slashes across his cheek. But instead of growing angry as she would have expected, he just smiled at her. "Give it up, Venus. It's over."

And that's when she realized with rising panic that her vision was almost completely dark.

"You're mine now."

-----

Mamoru groaned quietly, feeling like his head had just been kicked in by an elephant. He had absolutely no idea how that had happened. What's more, he had no idea why he was lying on the floor or what his eyes were doing closed.

Ever so slowly, he forced his eyelids to work properly even though it felt like someone had hung two ton weights from his eyelashes. He pushed himself up on his elbows, reaching around to feel a bump the size and relative shape of an eggplant throbbing on the back of his head. After that revelation, his mind started to work at something near its normal pace, and he remembered Minako and Rubeus and the fact that he had come to kill them.

Apparently, he'd stopped just short of finishing him off.

"Give it up, Venus. It's over."

Mamoru looked over his shoulder, gasping when he saw what had been going on while he was out. Somehow, Rubeus had gotten Minako pinned beneath him, his fingers wrapped around her neck in a death grip. He was strangling her with Mamoru in the room, and once he was done with her, he was going to turn around and finish the job with Mamoru, who he had accurately perceived to be the weaker of his two enemies.

No, not enemies. Targets.

He couldn't see Minako's face, but he could imagine what it must have looked like. The thought of someone being so close while they killed you made his stomach turn. It was why they always said strangling deaths often occurred at the hands of someone who felt intense hatred for the victim.

Mamoru knew without a doubt that Minako couldn't possibly have done anything that bad. And he also knew that as nervous as he had been about risking his life for another, he wouldn't hesitate one more second before rescuing her. He wouldn't kid himself by saying it was selfless of him. He just wasn't going to let the one person standing between him and certain death to go before he did.

"You're mine now."

"Like hell she is," Mamoru muttered. He scrambled to his feet and then rushed headlong towards Rubeus, ducking low and leading with his shoulder as he had seen so many American football players do before. He leapt forward, pushing off the ground with every bit of strength in his legs, and pushed his body into Rubeus.

He was rewarded. Rubeus went flying off of Minako, and even though Rubeus cursed loudly during impact, Mamoru could hear Minako gasping and coughing. He spared a glance to see that she didn't waste a second before crawling away from the scene, pulling herself forward by her arms as she gulped lungfuls of now precious oxygen.

Mamoru and Rubeus tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over again until Mamoru's shoulder hit the wall. The second they stopped, Rubeus drew his hand bag and punched Mamoru, catching him right in the eye. Mamoru cried out and moved backwards, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. He did it just in time, ducking another blow that probably would have crushed his cheekbone.

Rubeus growled at him, sounding every bit like a feral animal. "I am going to make you pay for that interruption, you little bastard."

Mamoru laughed dryly, putting up his fists and bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet. "I don't doubt that."

Rubeus, naturally, did not find this the least bit amusing. He snarled and leapt forward, fists flying at Mamoru so quickly that he could hardly keep up. He dodged a number of them and blocked quite a few more, but Rubeus was obviously a superior fighter, and so he landed enough to do plenty of damage. Mamoru knew that if he went on the offensive in hand-to-hand combat, he'd be thoroughly trounced. But then, he wasn't fighting Rubeus to win. He was fighting Rubeus to give Minako time to do whatever it was she needed to do.

He didn't dare look to check on her progress, but he couldn't help but wish she'd hurry it up.

Mamoru kept moving back, glancing over his shoulder every few steps to make sure he wasn't being backed into a corner. It was during one of those looks that he missed Rubeus aiming for his stomach. His fist sank in so deeply that Mamoru couldn't breathe, and there was no way he could be expected to stand up after that attack. He dropped to his knees, bending over and clutching the area where he'd just been hit. He looked up in time to see Rubeus drive his knee forward, catching Mamoru in the chin and sending him reeling back.

"Minako!" Mamoru shouted, his voice hoarse. "I could use a little help here!"

"Working on it!" she called back out, her voice understandably quivering and rough.

Rubeus, who up to that point had been amply distracted, looked over at the sound of her voice. His eyes flashed, and he started circling back around the couch to find her and finish what he started.

Mamoru quickly looked around to see if he could find anything to use as a weapon. He caught sight of a small metal TV tray within arm's reach, and he had never been so grateful for a westernized décor in his life. He snatched one of the legs between his fingers and lifted it up, simultaneously dragging himself to his feet. He nearly stumbled and fell, the combination of his dizziness and the shot to the stomach almost doing him in, but he forced himself to stay upright. He advanced on Rubeus as quickly and quietly as possible, swinging the tray back and then powering it forward.

It slammed across his back, making him stagger beneath the assault. He started to turn around to retaliate, but Mamoru quickly hit him a second time, sending him reeling. Unfortunately, this put him out of Mamoru's reach, and Mamoru recognized an eerie purple shimmer gathering between his hands.

He abandoned the weapon and lunged to the right, just barely missing being caught up in the blast. He turned around to see that it had blown a hole through the wall, revealing a now ruined dining room.

Rubeus yelled in frustration, the veins on his neck bulging. He stalked forward, gathering yet another attack between his palms. "I _will_ see you both dead at my feet! Make no mistake about that!"

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

The gold ray of light shot out from the other side of the room, seeking out Rubeus's hands. They sliced across his fingers as if made of knives, sending more blood shooting into the air. Rubeus yelled in pain, clutching both of them to his chest and hunching down.

Suddenly, Mamoru felt a hand wrap around his elbow. He panicked and nearly ran, when he looked over at saw it was Sailor Venus. He was shocked to see how horrible she looked. Her neck was circled with angry red marks that were already beginning to turn dark, and her eyes were wet with tears and bright red from where the blood vessels had burst after being without oxygen for so long. She was still taking deep breaths, overcompensating in response to all she had lost. "Come on. We need to get out of here."

"Why?" Mamoru asked dumbly, allowing himself to be dragged to his feet.

Recognizing that he was moving slowly, she supported him as best she could, but the disparity between their heights did them no favors. "Well, for starters, my mother is going to _slaughter_ me--"

"There won't be anything left."

Mamoru looked up to see that Rubeus was no longer nursing his wounds. His hands were swathed with rivers of his own blood, quaking in front of him. His teeth were gnashed together, jaw clenched so that it looked like he might break his own bones. He straightened up and shouted, "I'm sending you both to hell!" He cupped his hands and thrust them forward with a bellow that echoed in Mamoru's chest.

The tiny bomb clusters shot out of his hands. It spread out so widely that there was no way they'd be able to duck or dodge anywhere. Even though they had no hope of outrunning it, both Venus and Mamoru took off, releasing each other to try and gain ground faster. They managed to remain neck and neck as they sped out of the living room and into the foyer, which was where the attack caught up with them.

The force of the blast lifted them up, throwing them forward. He was surrounded by exploding starlight and overcome by cracking energy that seared his skin, burning a hole into the back of his jacket. He heard Venus let out another shriek, but he didn't dare look her way, horrified at the prospect of what he might see. He just kept looking straight ahead at the walls and windows, knowing that they were about to be pushed through them with the devil just behind them.

He reached out blindly, grabbing her wrist just as he had done with Sailor Moon the week before, determined not to be separated from Venus now, and prepared for the inevitable.

-----

Rubeus watched with something that might have been satisfaction as Sailor Venus and Endymion were tossed into the air, the strength of his attack lifting them up and still having more than enough power to blow out the entire front of the house. Both of them went flying out amongst a storm of wood, dust, and bits of glass. They both hit the ground at the same time, their bodies skidding across the pavement and coming to a stop in the middle of the street.

Venus was crying.

He allowed himself a small smile at that, and then casually sauntered forward, stepping through the wreckage he had just caused with pride. He stared down his opponents, a man who had turned no magic on him and still managed to wound him and a girl who had cheated their advances a third time. He could also see that the neighbors, who had probably ignored the commotion going on inside the house, could not avoid the front of a house exploding. They peaked out of windows and around doors, some even coming out to brave what he had just labeled a warzone. He heard someone shout something about calling the police.

Rubeus scoffed as he stepped over what had once been the threshold. As if they could do anything at all in this situation. As if there would be anything left but the cleaning of the carcasses by the time they arrived.

"I, for one, have had quite enough of this. Haven't you?" Rubeus said loudly as he continued walking towards his prey. He smiled as he watched Endymion slowly force himself into a sitting position, noticing that Venus wasn't really moving at all. Clearly, the last attack had been too much for her to take. She wouldn't survive another one, and with enough effort on his part, Endymion wouldn't either.

"Why don't we all just agree that it's your time to go?" Rubeus asked, shrugging his shoulders. "It comes for everyone." He paused, his back going rigid with anger. "And it comes long before the end of a thousand years."

He watched Endymion for a reaction, and finding none, became confused. It was almost enough to make him wonder if he had been wrong – if this actually was not the future King of Earth – but he told himself that was ridiculous. No normal human being could have lasted as long as he had, and no ally of the Senshi could look so much like Endymion without bearing his name.

Rubeus lifted one hand, still raw with the pain from Venus's sudden attack, over his head, calling forth one final assault. "Time to say good night."

Rubeus felt his heart begin to lift at last. Finally, he would be rid of one of the Senshi, women he had longed to destroy from the moment he arrived. And better still, it would be the one he reviled the most. And, to top it all off, Endymion would be vanquished by his hand. He would heralded for his great deeds. His name would be burned into history for all of time, and he would be called a hero for their cause. He would be the greatest of liberators, the man who killed a King before he was given the chance to ascend the throne. At last, no one would be able to deny him his rightful power.

"Dead Scream."

Rubeus's eyes went wide. He didn't know the voice, but he knew the name of the attack from legend. He dropped his spell and spun to see a glowing sphere of light come tearing through an otherwordly fog, bearing down on him. There was no opportunity to save himself, only to scream just before he was overtaken.

It hit him square in the chest, hitting the scar Venus had left on his body like a bulls-eye. This time, he was the one who went soaring backwards, deadly power overwhelming his senses and undoubtedly taking years off his life. And he might have imagined it, but he swore he heard howling in his ears, high-pitched and furious, like hungry ghosts clinging to vengeance.

He shuddered as his back scraped against the dirt, but he forced his body to come to a stop, leaving him sprawled out on the ground like a bird shot out of the sky. He forced himself to balance on his elbows, staring straight ahead and seeking out the woman he knew was standing there.

She emerged from mists she had brought with her, the fog of time still clinging to her body as if part of her wardrobe. Long legs emerged from dark boots that went up to the knee, resembling those worn by both Mercury and Sailor Moon. Long hair the color of forests he had never seen hung down to her knees, and eyes the color of jewels they would never own bore into his own. She held a staff shaped like a key in her hand, and the orb atop it glowed from the recently utilized power. She was as much a woman as she was a ghost, a lone soldier guarding an empty realm, concealing herself from everyone alive in this century and in the one he called home.

Until now.

Sailor Pluto finished walking, standing in between him and her apparent allies, the time staff striking the street and echoing like the last second before the world ends. Her eyes never left his, gazing at him with such intensity that it disquieted him. They were too old for her face, too old for anyone's face, and the fact that she was the closest thing to an omnipotent being as he would ever meet made him wary, if not humble. She relaxed her shoulders, taking a quick breath though parted lips, and spoke in a voice that no one else in his time had ever heard. It was an honor he spat upon gladly.

"I, for one, have had quite enough of this," Pluto echoed smartly, her smooth alto reverberating across the street in spite of how soft it seemed. Like a whispered scream. "Haven't you?"

As Rubeus stared up from the ground she had cast him upon, he found he could only be sure of one thing: from that moment on, everything was going to change.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I apologize here and now for the scene with Usagi and the other girls. I don't like reading about what I already know happened either, but it wasn't the sort of thing where I could say, "And then Usagi heaved a long sigh and told them the whole story." No, because I needed to get to the end of the scene where something important actually does happen, and I couldn't skip over everything that happened in between. So yeah, I'm sorry if that scene was just torture to read and if you almost gave up on me – really sorry if you actually gave up on me. But it was a necessary evil, and so here we are.

Other than that, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter:D It was nice to write this so soon after finishing up Part Eight, and absolutely wonderful in consideration of the battle. xD I have been looking forward to that fight scene for, literally, YEARS. It may wind up being my favorite part of this story. No lie.

Although, I think it's thanks to that scene that the rating on this fic needs to be raised. ;; Thought I'd be able to keep it PG-13, but no, Rubeus is way too twisted for that rating. C'est la vie.

Thanks as always to Yumeko for beta-reading this chapter, and thanks to everyone who has been ever so kind and read/reviewed this story. You guys are amazing. Stay tuned for next time!

Coming Soon – Part Ten: Out of Time


	10. Out of Time

Forgotten Forever  
Part Ten: Out of Time  
by Kihin Ranno  
10/25  
R

"You have caused a great deal of damage to this timeline, Rubeus," Sailor Pluto announced, pinning him down with her gaze. "I do not appreciate being made to come down here to clean up your messes."

Rubeus leaned to his left, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Why did you wait so long to reveal yourself then, Pluto?"

Pluto smiled serenely. "You are hardly the foremost of my problems, Rubeus."

He stiffened immediately, snarling at her like a dog. "You have no idea what—"

She spun the staff around with practiced ease, leveling the Garnet Orb directly into his face. She was pleased that he had the sense to show fear. "That last attack was launched at you from a distance," she explained coolly. "If I were to fire from this range, there would be no head to lower into your gravesite."

His eyes narrowed, and his Adam's apple convulsed as he swallowed. Centuries of watching others attempt to hide behind masks of flesh had done her many favors, and so, she knew this was a sign of terror. "So stop talking about it. Fire it off."

"I'd just as soon not get your blood on my boots," Pluto explained, ignoring the fact that the trajectory of the blast made it very unlikely that there would be any splatter in her direction. "And there are other matters more pressing than the removal of your corpse. Therefore, I am going to say this just once." She leaned in and dropped her tone. It trembled with the fury of the ages, rising from the shadows within her and casting darkness on her words. "Get out of this time. Go back to your own. I know what cargo you carry, and I know who you have waiting. Serve both masters and get out of my sight."

Rubeus stared at her for a moment. "If you know so much, why don't you do something about it?"

"Inaction is my burden," Pluto said coldly. "But when I do take action, Rubeus, rest assured that the events provoke a metamorphosis painted in red."

Rubeus backed away from her slowly and then got to his feet, his eyes never leaving the ever present end of her staff. They only flicked up to her own gaze when he was fully settled, his lips curled into a sneer. "This isn't the end."

Pluto smiled again. "Don't you think I know that already?"

His eyes flashed in defiance, but he said nothing more. With a wave of his hand and a flash of violet light, he was gone, leaving Pluto alone with two very battered survivors.

But for the moment, all was well. Rubeus had not called a single one of her bluffs.

* * *

Much to his extreme frustration, when Rubeus arrived back at the base, he immediately hit the floor.

Not surprisingly, only Petz was around to care. "Master Rubeus!" she shouted. She came down from where she was floating inside the main chamber, moving over to him briskly. She crouched beside him, immediately preparing herself to hoist him up, and much as he loathed it, he was in no position to refuse. He still had no idea how he'd managed to stand after being hit with Pluto's attack.

But then, humiliation was a powerful motivator.

"I don't understand," Petz said, her eyes racing over every inch of his body to check his wounds. "How could Venus have done this kind of damage? Even in her condition, she doesn't have the capabilities for this."

"I know," Rubeus wheezed as Petz forced him to be vertical. He coughed again, the taste of blood filling his mouth once more. He swallowed it. "She didn't do this."

"Who did?"

Rubeus attempted to take a step on his own and quickly collapsed, hitting one knee. He clenched both of his fists and scowled at nothing, longing to tear flesh. "Pluto."

He felt Petz stiffen beside him. Her voice was hoarse when she said, "That's impossible."

"I didn't imagine almost being decapitated!" Rubeus yelled, a sudden burst of adrenaline propelling him upwards. It only lasted a second, however, and soon he was sent reeling. He grasped a chunk of green crystal, holding on to it as if it granted him strength and sanity.

Petz swallowed, looking distinctly nervous for the first time since Rubeus had met her. "Why didn't she kill you?"

"I haven't a damn clue," Rubeus muttered. "But she doesn't matter now. Do you know how to pilot the ship?"

Petz nodded, her brow furrowing. "Why?"

"We're leaving," Rubeus said, glancing down and surveying the damage Pluto had done to his chest. He was amazed she hadn't ripped a hole straight through it. The skin was severely charred and wet with blood, still smoking from the attack. "Immediately."

"What about Venus?"

Rubeus's face screwed up in what he hoped was a truly grotesque grimace. His jaw clenched, the skin on his neck stretching and revealing bulging veins. "To hell with that bitch!" he bellowed. "And Endymion along with her."

Petz observed him from a distance for a second, not flinching at his outburst in the slightest. It was a character trait he normally admired, but he tired of being ineffectual.

"We'll make them pay, Master Rubeus," Petz promised, her voice steel.

"No shit," he hissed, pushing himself forward. Petz stepped to his side in a moment, looping his arm over her shoulders and steering him in the direction of the infirmary. "Have Cooan send word to Saffir if you can find her. He can pass the message of our imminent return along."

Petz's omnipresent scowl deepened. "Think Prince Demando is going to be angry for leaving Venus behind?"

Rubeus laughed as much as he dared. He felt as though his ribs would break apart. "We might be delivering his precious queen right into his bed. What could he possibly have to be upset about?"

* * *

Once Rubeus vanished, Mamoru finally allowed himself to take a moment to examine the woman who had come to their rescue. The red menace had called her 'Pluto,' and her outfit certainly resembled Venus's enough to make coincidence impossible. Her silhouette was intensely familiar, but it was her voice that had haunted his thoughts. Older than eternity and darker than the farthest reaches of space, he had heard her speak to him before. He had made a mistake in his hospital bed days before. He knew now that the girl who had slipped out of his window must have been Venus.

This woman was the dark angel who had visited him in the fog.

"Thank you," Mamoru croaked softly, unsure of what he referred to.

Pluto turned and moved over to them as if her body were formed from wind, crouching down before them. She looked at Mamoru intensely for a moment, as if acknowledging what he had just remembered. But her attentions were soon turned to Venus, who Mamoru realized was in dire need of help.

"Can you stand?" Pluto asked, her crimson eyes dark with concern.

Mamoru looked down at Venus, surveying the damage Rubeus and his allies had done. By all rights, she should not have been able to move at all. Blood streaked her skin and bruises shone purple against the pale. There were no obvious breaks, but he didn't see how she could emerge from all that trauma without at least some hairline fractures at least. He didn't even want to think of the possible head injuries or the after-effects of nearly being suffocated.

She still held his hand.

Venus's bright gaze focused solely on Pluto. Her eyes narrowed into slits, appraising the situation. "Who are you?"

Pluto seemed vaguely impressed, but ultimately pressed on. "Much as I admire your tenacity, I'm afraid there's little time for it. Your neighbors have likely called the police by now, and we cannot afford to waste any more time than necessary. We've already run out of it."

Sensible as it sounded to Mamoru, Venus did not take kindly to it. "Forgive me if I'm a little suspicious of some strange woman pirating our fuku, who somehow seems to know who I am and what all is happening with those… awful people." She shuddered, but barely paused for breath. "I don't trust you until I get some answers."

"I am not in league with the Black Moon," Pluto assured her in one of the most authoritative voices Mamoru had ever heard. "I am one of you. I'm an ally, however distant, and I mean to take you to the very place Rubeus is no doubt returning to with your friends in tow."

Venus's eyes widened slightly, comprehending. "The future."

"And not a bright one."

Mamoru licked his lips, anxious to jump in. "Look, Mi—Venus, I know that this situation isn't the most conventional, but I'm not sure we have much of a choice right now. You need to get Usagi and the other girls back. If they really are on their way to the future, she's the only way you can get there."

Venus finally turned her gaze onto him, and only then did she seem to realize that she was still clutching Mamoru's hand. She dropped it as if she'd been holding on to a hot stove. Then she considered him for a moment, her face quickly falling into a look of resignation. "You're right. I hate it, but you're still right." She looked at Pluto askance. "I sincerely hope for all our sakes that you're telling the truth."

"Which brings me back to my former question: can you stand?"

Venus looked down, her cheeks reddening. "I'm not sure," she murmured.

"I'll give you a hand," Pluto offered. The older Senshi turned to Mamoru briefly, asking, "Are you all right on your own?"

Mamoru immediately clambered to his feet, finding that he was actually in much better condition to do so. His head still swam a bit, and he had to blink away black dots floating around his vision, but he managed it well enough. Once he was sure he wasn't going to tip over again, he nodded his head. "Yes."

"Good," Pluto said brusquely as she finished pulling the blonde to her feet. "Then you can help her."

Mamoru glanced at Venus out of the corner of his eye, unsurprised to see the frown marring her bow mouth. She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "On second thought, I think I'll be fine."

Pluto looked at the girl skeptically. "I have to keep my hands free for this journey, and to be perfectly honest, I very much doubt that you're capable of withstanding it unassisted."

"I trekked through the Arctic in a mini-skirt," Venus laughed weakly. "I'll handle it."

Mamoru shook off his instantaneous doubt that such a thing had occurred and frowned, wondering who she was trying to impress.

"So you did," Pluto conceded, giving a tiny shrug. "Suit yourself." She stepped closer to the both of them, her staff grasped between her hands. "The trip will not be an easy one, but circumstances as they are, I will be with you every step of the way. The Time Gate is no longer entirely uncompromised. If there were more of you, I could risk it, but…" she trailed off, sighing. "Forgive me. Things are not as they should be."

"No kidding," Mamoru muttered, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

Pluto smiled ruefully and then lifted her face aloft, giving them one last instruction.

"Brace yourselves."

She lifted the top of her staff high above her head, and both Mamoru and Venus watched with wide eyes as the jewel glowed bright garnet, washing the entire street with light. The few bystanders that had remained outside gasped loudly, many finally deeming it necessary to take cover.

"As the Guardian of Time, I command that the heavens to open and make way the doorway of the space-time door for myself and these travelers! I call out your true name, almighty God of Time, Chronos!" She closed her eyes, dropping her pitch so that only the three of them could hear. "Guide and protect us. Grant me the strength to bring us to the future." She exhaled, her breath shaking almost imperceptibly. "Lead us to victory."

Pluto's eyes opened again, this time with more fierce a look than any Mamoru had seen in his lifetime. "The path of light to me!" she bellowed, striking the staff on the ground.

Light so bright it seemed for a moment as if a star had burst erupted overhead. Mamoru heard Venus shout as he shielded his eyes, trying to look up. He couldn't see a thing, but he felt himself being lifted up. He glanced down to see that a pillar of light bore down on them, forming a circle around the trio and carrying them away. The power drilled a circle into the street, lifting up chunks of rock and debris from the road and the Aino house.

Just when he started to think that bringing along a window pane wasn't going to help them much, the Earth vanished beneath his feet. They were gone.

* * *

"What do you think is going on?" Usagi asked quietly from her corner.

The four captives had still been told nothing. They had heard screaming and arguing from the main chamber, but they'd heard nothing clear. Now, hours later, they had experienced the unmistakable feeling of movement, revealing that their prison was a vessel for the first time.

Ami reached a hand out to touch the side of their prison. She furrowed her brow, murmuring, "We seem to be moving impossibly fast."

"What about Minako and Mamoru?" Rei queried, her voice hoarse from their earlier confrontation.

"They must have figured it wasn't worth it anymore," Makoto muttered. Unless Usagi was mistaken, she recognized some traces of relief in the brunette's tone.

Ami's frown deepened. "I'm not so sure we ought to write that off as a good thing."

Usagi swallowed hard, pulling her knees up to her chest. She wished that she had some way to find out what was happening, even if it meant getting in touch with Minako. She had no idea if either of them were safe. Ami had guessed that Beruche had not been successful in capturing Venus, that perhaps the blonde had done her enemy a considerable amount of damage. Usagi knew she wasn't very smart, but she wasn't stupid enough to think that their captors would take too kindly to be thwarted by the same girl twice.

She shuddered, remembering the look in Rubeus's eyes. Something about him had shaken her, made her more fearful than any enemy she had previously encountered. Even Beryl's raw power or Kunzite's lust for vengeance paled in comparison to the darkness inside of that man.

She had no idea what had been done in retaliation for Venus's escape, but she prayed that Rubeus had not decided to take matters into his own hands. If that had happened, she had no way of knowing if either Mamoru or Minako was safe.

Usagi shut her eyes tightly, resting her forehead on her knees. "Where do you think they're taking us?"

"Where else?" Rei scoffed weakly, her voice was surprisingly devoid of spite. "The future."

None of them spoke for a long time after that.

* * *

Artemis and Luna arrived at Minako's home ten minutes too late.

"Artemis, what are all of these policemen and news vans doing here?" Luna asked, not bothering to conceal the fact that she was talking. With as much chaos as there was in the area, it was unlikely that anyone was going to be paying much attention to a pair of wandering felines.

He frowned, the hair on his back standing up. "I don't know, but it can't be anything good. Makes me nervous with all of them being this close to my house."

Luna chuckled. "Your house?"

"Shut up."

The two continued to weave their way through the crowd, attempting to get a better look at whatever had happened. The closer they got to the epicenter of the situation, the more unsettled Artemis became. By the time they finally reached the front of the police barricade, his ears were flat against his head, a growl coiling upwards from the back of his throat.

"Honestly, Artemis, calm down," Luna chastised, pushing her way through the last pair of legs. "I'm sure everything is just…"

She didn't bother to finish.

Artemis and Luna stared out at the unbelievable wreckage that lay before them. The entire front of Minako's home had been blown apart. Luna recognized pieces of the stairs, half of the front door, and the family portrait that had hung in the front living room. Half of Minako's face had been burned away.

"Oh, God," Artemis breathed, his whole frame trembling. "Minako… Minako!"

He started to leap forward, and Luna just barely had the presence of mind to tackle him before he went running into the open air. He fought her fiercely, wriggling beneath her weight and even taking a swipe at her face. Finally, Luna managed to unsheathe her claws, shoving them as close to his eyes as she dared.

"Stop it," she spat, trying desperately to keep her voice like iron. "Think, you idiot. We don't know if Minako was even here. I thought you said she was tailing Usagi."

Artemis panted underneath her, still giving the occasional spasm to make a break for it. "There's blood, Luna. Can't you smell it?"

"Artemis--"

"They found out who she was," Artemis hissed. "They found out where she lived." He beat one of his paws against the street, yowling in fury. "How stupid could I have been to leave her alone?"

"What would you have done? Foiled their evil plans by coughing up a hairball?" Luna snapped. "We don't know what happened here. We need to find out. Split up; search the crowd; come back here as soon as you know something." Luna shook her claws at her partner for emphasis. "And do not do anything stupid."

Luna backed off Artemis slowly, staying close just long enough to be sure he would do as he was told. After he darted away, Luna remained for a moment to see if those in the immediate area had any idea, but she heard nothing but confusion and disbelief in their voices. Most of these people probably didn't even know who lived there.

Luna growled in frustration and ran in the opposite direction. She moved out of the crowd, keeping as low to the ground as possible. The mark on her forehead was incredibly obvious for those willing to look for it, and she'd read some articles in the papers speculating on why a bunch of teenage girls would randomly be kidnapped by supernatural forces. A number of elicit, deplorable options had been cast out, ones Luna refused to think about. However, one tabloid had speculated that they might be the Sailor Senshi. The last thing they needed was a cat with crescent moon stamped on their brows to be found at a crime scene. Magic could only conceal them so much.

Finally, Luna made her way over to two detectives leaning against their car, reviewing some notes they had no doubt jotted down from several interviews. The taller one sighed, folding his arms. "What a thing, huh?"

"Yeah," the stockier one conferred. "Anyone get a hold of the owners yet?"

"Still looking."

"Shame… So, you think this is one of those kidnappings?"

Luna shut her eyes and prayed to Serenity that it was not. If Minako had been taken and Artemis hadn't been there, it would kill him. Even if there was nothing he could have done, she knew it would wreck him because she would have felt exactly the same way.

"Looks like it. Witnesses saying some guy with red hair blew the front of the house out."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And you'll never guess who came flying out."

"Really? Who?"

"One of those Sailor Senshi."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Witness couldn't say which one. She was lying on the ground, crying. Probably got beat up real bad. And it turns out there was a man with her."

Luna stiffened, and in spite of herself, whispered, "Oh, no."

"What, that idiot in a turban?"

"No, just a regular guy. We think he might have driven that car over there though. We're running the plates now."

Luna's head swiveled over to where the detective had indicated. She swore violently in the ancient tongue when she saw the car. She'd know it from anywhere; it was definitely Mamoru's.

"So what do you figure?"

"I say Red had an accomplice that snatched the Aino girl. Another witness saw her and the guy going into the house a few minutes before the explosion. Maybe he was the boyfriend. Anyway, she gets snatched, guy puts up a fight, Senshi shows up, and Red tries to blow them both up."

Luna heaved a tiny sigh of relief. If they didn't immediately try to connect up Minako with a Senshi, they'd never put two and two together. There had been plenty of others with more information than these two had, and they had never realized the truth. Usagi's hair was enough to reveal her identity, and no one had ever considered her as a possibility.

Unfortunately, that small relief did nothing to abate the terror coursing through her veins.

"And then Senshi Number Two comes to the rescue."

Luna straightened. None of this was making sense. Why would Minako have been with Mamoru? It was possible that the witness had been wrong, that Usagi had been there too. And that would mean that either Sailor Moon or Venus had been missed by the enemy and rescued the other.

But if that was the case, then where were they?

"I still can't believe the stuff these people are telling us," the stockier one continued, shaking his head. "I mean, I haven't even heard of one of them carrying around a staff, let alone disappearing into thin air."

Luna's blood ran cold. "It couldn't be."

"Neither have I. And all that stuff about, uh… What was it? Chronos?"

Luna's stomach dropped out from her body. "Pluto," she whispered, already on the move. She didn't bother to hide in her desperation to get back to the meeting spot. Artemis should already have gotten back by now, whether he'd found out anything or not.

She skidded to a stop when she reached the rendezvous point. Artemis arrived half a second later.

"Did you—" he began, panting.

"I heard," Luna said with a sharp nod. "Sailor Pluto. I can't believe it!"

Artemis shook his head. "I always thought she was just a myth, but I heard it from two people. She said 'Chronos.'"

"So she took Mamoru and the girls to the Time Gate," Luna contemplated, her tail whisking back and forth. "But why was he even here?"

Artemis paused, his face freezing. "Luna, she didn't take all of them."

Luna stopped, staring. "What do you mean?"

"One of the kids recognized Venus," Artemis started slowly, fear rising in his voice. "It was just Minako and Mamoru she took. Usagi wasn't here."

"No, that doesn't make any sense. There's no way Minako would be alone with Mamoru. They didn't even know each other before. What could they possibly—"

"Luna," Artemis interrupted sharply. "She was following Usagi."

Pieces of a puzzle began to come together, a picture becoming sharper. Inevitabilities stacked up, educated guesses swimming in a stream of panic. There was only one explanation. Only one plausible reason for why Minako and Mamoru would be together, and that reason left her feeling as though she would be sick to death.

"Usagi."

* * *

All four girls jumped when Petz slid the door to their cell wide open. "Get up," she instructed harshly.

Usagi had no desire to endure any unnecessary pain, so she barely hesitated before she started to get to her feet, glancing towards the others to silently suggest they do the same. Rei held out her hand to keep Usagi from complying further. "We want to know where we're going first."

Petz's lips thinned, one fist resting on her hip. "You are not going anywhere, Mars. I'm only talking to her."

All four of them momentarily froze. The other three began protesting loudly, pulling themselves off the floor. Usagi shook her head, pressing her back against the wall until it was completely flush. It was freezing. "No. I'm not leaving them."

"You're not taking her anywhere," Makoto added, moving forward to stand beside Rei. Ami quickly followed suit, her normally calm expression replaced by one as cold as steel. The three of them formed a makeshift human shield, standing in between Usagi and whatever terrible fate undoubtedly waited for her outside those doors.

Petz rolled her eyes, raising a hand. "I don't have time for this."

With a simple gesture, black lightning came pouring out of Petz's gloved palm, slamming into her three friends with bone-crushing force. They shrieked and flew back like rag dolls into the opposite wall. Usagi screamed and clambered to her feet, rushing to get to them. She saw blood and an ankle turned the wrong way, although she couldn't distinguish who was hurt. She barely even made three steps before Petz's hand closed around her wrist.

"Come on," she snapped, yanking Usagi out of the cell.

Usagi's head whipped around to yell for her friends, panicked tears already streaming down her face. Rei leapt to her feet as if she hadn't just been attacked, her arm outstretched. Usagi held out her hand, desperately trying to grab the priestess's fingers. Just as they might have been able to touch, the door slammed shut again. Rei jerked back to avoid it, staring after Usagi with wild eyes.

"Usagi!" she shouted, her body rigid. "Don't let them do anything to you, understand? Fight back!"

Usagi dragged her feet even though Petz pulled on her arm. "No. Rei, please—"

"Fight!" Rei ordered again. "I'll come for you; I swear it, but you have to promise me."

Usagi just shook her head and sobbed, "Rei!"

"Promise!"

But Usagi couldn't say anything else. Petz had taken her from the room, and Usagi couldn't see her friends any longer. She whimpered at the loss.

"Stop whining," Petz ordered crossly. "It's not as if we're going to kill them."

Usagi's relief attempted to outweigh her grief. She clutched at her heart with her free hand. "What are you going to do to them, then? Why did you take them?"

"Leverage," Petz answered.

Alarm bells sang out in Usagi's mind, but she could arrive at no clear conclusion. "For what?"

Something flickered in Petz's eyes. Usagi thought it might have been disgust.

"For what?" Usagi repeated more forcefully, the pitch of her voice climbing.

"For you."

Usagi's knees very nearly gave way, but Petz didn't allow her to fall. She didn't know exactly what the warrior's words had meant, but Usagi could guess. Her friends had been taken to make sure that she did what these people wanted. They could make her kill; they could make her use the crystal. They could make her do whatever they wanted because she would do anything to keep Rei, Ami, and Makoto safe.

They would hate her when they found out. They would hate that she was too selfish to let them go. Ami would cry; Makoto would pound her fists; Rei would slap her.

Usagi wondered what Minako would have done if she were there.

Eventually, Petz and Usagi made their way out of a door Usagi had not seen before, and suddenly, they were out in the open walking down a metal ramp. She saw for the first time that they had been in a spaceship, and her stomach did a little flip when she realized that she had been held captive outside of the Earth's atmosphere. But this paled in comparison to where she was now, and her mouth fell open when she saw their surroundings.

The sky was pitch black and filled with stars that looked too close. She wondered if the canopy of night could come crashing down on them; disaster surrounded her now and anything seemed possible. What little plant-life Usagi could see withered as though they had never seen the sun. Furious clouds loomed in the distance, lightning flashing within. The thunderheads glowed green like poison.

But most intimidating of all was the palace that loomed before her, made of the same black-green crystal she had seen on the ship. It resembled a rounded pyramid, similar to the other buildings she could see in her peripheral vision, although greater in scale. Three thin points rose from the top, their tops shimmering with what could have been impossibly large diamonds. The palace seemed to have a face – a skull, grinning.

Usagi cried out when Petz dragged her forward once more. Purple light filled Usagi's vision, and the ground swirled away from her. When it reappeared seconds later, they were no longer outside. Instead, they stood in a large antechamber, foreboding and made entirely out of that same crystal. Pillars surrounded her, reaching up towards a ceiling she could not see. She could find no source of light, and in fact, there was barely any to be found.

"Prince Demando," Petz announced, addressing shadows. "I present Sailor Moon."

Usagi gasped when Petz pushed her and found she couldn't keep her balance. Her knees scraped against the ground, and she could not hold back a shout. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she swiped at them furiously. Rei had told her to fight, to be strong, not cry like a child because of a skinned knee.

She looked ahead, her eyes slowly adjusting to the oppressive darkness. She barely made out a silhouette within the black, legs crossed with an air of bored elegance, chin propped up with one hand. The form straightened, becoming rigid with alertness. It set something made of glass on the arm of what Usagi guessed was a throne. Liquid sloshed. It rose and walked forward, emerging from the gloom so that Usagi could finally see the man they were all answering to.

He was like a ghost emerging from the pitch, dressed all in white and pale as paper. Dark embroidery bloomed over his chest, curled and elegant. A purple cape swept behind him, granting him unnecessary grandeur. He reeked of aristocracy and would have looked like a monarch in rags. Silver-white hair hung down into eyes that were so similar to and yet so very unlike Rei's. His lips were slightly parted. Earrings she had seen before dangled from his earlobes. A black crescent stood out like ink and ash against his skin.

He moved closer until Usagi could see something glittering in his eyes. She didn't know what it was, but she feared it, knowing it resembled something she had seen before. He reached for her, and she drew back. "Don't touch me!"

He stared for a moment, surprised and maybe even affronted, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. He looked down at her, his eyes burning with impossible intensity, and said, "It's all right. Get up."

Usagi's eyes widened at the sound of his voice, black velvet and starlight. His voice had told and withheld secrets, commanded armies, and whispered things so sinister that even night could not bear them. She knew all of this in an instant, knew just how powerful he was and how dangerous. Yet softness lived there as well, something soothing lurking within the insistent tone. He'd told her it was all right before he'd told her to get up. She wanted to believe him.

Slowly, Usagi got to her feet. She kept her eyes narrowed, but she was not nearly so hard on the inside. "Demando?" she asked, ignoring Petz's reaction to her lack of respect.

Demando nodded, but it was more like a bow. Usagi couldn't stop her blush. "That is my name."

Usagi swallowed, glancing around. "Where am I?" She paused. "And when?"

Demando's lips, barely distinguishable from the rest of his flesh, curved into a smile that made Usagi's flesh break out with goosebumps. "Impressive as expected, Sailor Moon." He furrowed his brow slightly. "No, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? Not when you're out of uniform."

"My name is Tsukino Usagi," Usagi said. Her fingers flew to her mouth a moment. She had no idea why she'd spoken.

"Usagi then," Demando continued, undeterred by her confusion. "You are on the planet Nemesis, the tenth in your solar system. Or ninth, depending on how you wish to classify Pluto."

Usagi stared, uncomprehending. She considered the ramifications of the presence of a tenth planet not just on this time, but of the Silver Millennium. Had they been involved in the alliance? Had this man's ancestors known her mother? How had they stayed populated for over a thousand years when all the other planets died with the era?

"As to when," Demando continued, moving to her left. His cape moved behind him like oil in water. "We are approximately one thousand years away from your present, in the thirtieth century."

Usagi very nearly lost her footing again. "A thousand… but that's not—"

"Possible," Demando finished.

Usagi nodded stupidly. "Yes."

Demando moved closer to her, and though Usagi wanted to take a step back, she found herself rooted to the spot as if cemented there. "I would love to explain all of this to you, Usagi, but I'm afraid there are more important matters to discuss." Suddenly, like an adder striking out at its prey, Demando's hand cupped her chin. She gasped and stumbled forward. He steadied her with his other arm and tilted her face to his. His eyes studied her intently, roaming her every feature and pore as if searching for the answers to the greatest of questions.

"You have the same chin," he murmured, the pad of his thumb smoothing her jawline. Now that she was upright, his other hand moved from her arm to her hair, his fingers combing through one of the ponytails and lifting it away from her scalp. "You have the same hairstyle." He leaned forward. "And your lips…"

Velvet and starlight smelled like cyanide. Recovering from her shock filled her with fury, and Usagi tore herself away from his prying hands. Both of her hands curled into fists, poised for battle. "Don't touch me!" she repeated, this time with more viciousness and none of her wonder.

He did not cower as she had hoped or even fly to rage as she had expected. Instead, he smiled again, his eyes shimmering with that same ambiance that made her ill with a memory she couldn't quite grasp. "Those eyes… I would know those eyes anywhere."

He waved his hand, and the shadows changed.

Usagi whirled to see what was happening behind her. She saw a pedestal covered in intricate carvings standing in the empty room. Light poured from its base and then flickered. An image rose from the stone, like a television without a screen. At first, she could make out nothing but white and some gold, but eventually, the picture became clear.

It was a woman, kneeling on the ground. She was dressed entirely in silk that looked as though it had been spun from unicorn hair. Her gold hair tumbled to the ground in twin cascades. Pearls wound around her shoulders and dripped between her fingers. A crown rested on her head, and it looked like it belonged. She was possibly the most elegant, regal woman Usagi had ever seen in her life.

It was like looking in a mirror.

"Oh, God," Usagi whispered.

"You can't see her eyes here," Demando pointed out from behind. "But I have seen this woman before, and she has given me that very same look. One no other living being dares to give." He stepped forward. "Defiance. Anger. Determination." He stood right next to her, several inches too close. The hair on Usagi's arm stood at attention. "The eyes of an angry angel. Your eyes, Usagi."

Usagi shook her head. "No. No, it can't be."

"Usagi…" Demando repeated, ignoring her shock and awe. "No, that does not seem quite right either." He turned to her, and Usagi wondered how she could have ever thought his eyes were anything like Rei's. "You are Serenity."

Usagi stumbled backwards, reeling. "No. I'm not her. I could never be her. Serenity died."

"You were reborn. A phoenix made of pearl and light."

"No," Usagi insisted more forcefully. "No, I'm not… You can't make me. You can't make me be her again."

Demando stared at her for a long moment, appraising her reaction. He seemed disappointed. "You're upset."

"Of course I'm—"

"Petz," Demando interrupted. "Get her settled. I understand it's been a very trying few days."

"Certainly, your majesty," Petz answered in a tone so subservient that Usagi nearly laughed.

Usagi shook her head. "Not until I—"

"I will be along later," Demando said, his voice suddenly soothing again. "We will discuss things at length."

For all her indignation, something about him lulled her into complacency. She felt her arms slackening and her mouth relaxing. Before she knew it, Petz steered her away, and she was taken to still more unknown places for unknown purposes.

Usagi never raised a single protest.

* * *

A fan snapped from a hidden corner. "Damn it!"

A sigh echoed. "I'd hoped it wasn't her."

"How dare she? How _dare_ she come in here and bewitch him like that? It's just like the old stories say, just like she did with the Earth prince. He's besotted!"

"It's her eyes," the man murmured, his voice full of unspoken regret. "Like he said. No one looks at him like that."

The woman sniffed, tossing hair the color of underripe apples. "I would look at him any way he wanted if he'd only ask."

"Then you've completely missed the point."

She snarled, her heel scraping against the ground. "What are we going to do? We can't just let her… live here as his pet."

"Actually, we can."

"Saffir—"

"Esmeraude," he interrupted tightly. "He is still your prince."

She straightened, rising to a challenge. "I know that."

"Then you will obey, and you will not question any… pets he wishes to keep." He paused. "I'll talk to him, but it will make no difference."

"Wringing her neck would—"

"Laying a hand on her would mean your death," he snapped. "Do not overestimate your importance, Esmeraude. If you mean to fall, there is no one here who will save you."

She waited a beat before smiling cruelly, white teeth glinting in the half-light. "And tell me, Saffir, if you were to fall, is there anyone who would save you?"

The leather of his gloves wheezed when he clenched his fist. "You know there isn't."

She laughed. It was possibly the most terrible sound ever uttered by a living creature. "I wonder if you'd still save her."

He did not answer. The sound of his footsteps leaving her was the only way she knew that he had left. He left Esmeraude standing there, staring off in the direction Usagi had been led, her fingers longing to close around throats and her tongue thirsty for vengeance. As well as for velvet, starlight, and even cyanide.

"I won't give him up that easily, little moon witch."

* * *

Venus passed out the moment they arrived in the fourth dimension.

Unfortunately, that was the least of their problems in Mamoru's opinion. As soon as he became re-oriented, he was blasted with an unearthly, soundless wind. He crouched beside Venus's prone form and shielded his eyes, wondering if they'd found themselves inside of a silent tornado. He tried to get a good look at his surroundings, but there was nothing familiar enough for him to name. They were surrounded by an endless mosaic of color, constantly blurring and shifting so that it made him nauseous if he looked too long. They were on a bridge without supports that stretched beyond the limits of his sight.

Pluto stood upright and leaned against her staff, squinting, but otherwise unaffected by the tempest. "I did warn her. The trip can be taxing on anyone who isn't used to it, much less those who have taken a beating as severe as hers."

Mamoru looked down at the girl-soldier and found that she looked even more battered now than when they'd left. She seemed fragile enough to break between his hands.

"Will she be all right?"

"Yes," Pluto assured him gently, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Once we reach our destination at any rate."

Mamoru winced as the wind somehow managed to pick up force. "Is it always like this?"

Pluto frowned, more than a little perturbed. "No. This is the Wiseman's doing. He's attempting to slow us down." Before Mamoru could ask who she was talking about, Pluto lifted her staff above her head, twirling it effortlessly. Then she brought it down with enough force to shake the bridge they were standing on, and within seconds, the storm had ceased. She smiled, satisfied. "His title is a bit of a misnomer."

"Apparently," Mamoru murmured, more than a little impressed.

"I can carry her if necessary," Pluto continued, undeterred by his admiration. "But only if you don't feel strong enough to do it. There's no telling what else that mystic has released into this realm, and its best if I have my hands free."

In reality, Mamoru felt like doing nothing but curling up in a ball at that very spot and sleeping for three days; however, after everything he'd been through in the past few hours, he wasn't about to stay in one place for too long. He certainly had no intention of rendering the one capable fighter incapacitated. "Help me get her on my back. It might be easier that way."

"One thing first." Pluto held her staff out again, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration. The garnet jewel pulsed with light, casting a blood glow across their faces. A moment later, a small scimitar emerged from the orb, curved like a sharp crescent. The handle was wrought from silver and engraved with what might have been runes, although none that looked even remotely familiar to Mamoru. Red sparkles caught the light from what might have been rubies or garnets laid into the metal. But what made Mamoru shudder was the color of the blade – black like jet. Swords had always seemed marvelous until that moment. Now they even smelled sinister.

"Take it," Pluto instructed. "If something happens to me, it would not serve you well to be unarmed."

Mamoru hesitated for a moment, and it was a second Pluto obviously did not want to take. The blade vanished before his eyes, but the sudden weight at his hip showed him where it had gone. It was now tucked inside his belt, the metal gleaming like death in the colored hall.

"Now let's see to her," Pluto said briskly.

Mamoru quickly complied, and once they had Venus settled, they were on their way. As it turned out, the corridor was not nearly as long as Mamoru had believed. It didn't actually come to an end, but the scenery around them shifted every few minutes. The wide rainbow hall faded away into a black forest, which turned into a desert with blue sands, which changed to a jungle made from jade.

No matter what the location, silence ruled. He could not hear their feet striking the ground, and there was nothing to indicate that there was anything else alive in the realms they explored. This did not seem to bother Pluto in the slightest, and normally, Mamoru cherished his peace and quiet. But the level of nothingness that stretched out for however miles they were meant to walk made his hair stand on end.

And there were things that needed to be said.

"It was you," he said, not bothering to question it.

Pluto's step never faltered, and she did not pretend to misunderstand. "Yes. It was."

* * *

Demando stared at Usagi's retreating figure, longing to follow. Her skin had been as intoxicating as he had imagined, and those eyes, _those eyes_, made his blood sing. He had waited for her eternally, and now she was within his grasp, closer than ever before.

But there were other affairs to attend to, and he could not let her overhear them.

"Wiseman."

What little light there was seemed to be sucked away. Demando did not glance over his shoulder to see that the mystic had arrived. He could feel the Wiseman's presence without the benefit of sight. The weight of the air had changed.

"Yes, your highness. I see you have at last claimed your prize."

"I have received her," Demando corrected. "I have not yet claimed."

Wiseman chuckled. "Congratulations, your majesty."

"What news of Venus?" Demando pressed, unwilling to waste the precious seconds that he had with Serenity now that she was among them.

"She is no longer in the twentieth century."

Demando raised an eyebrow, the left corner of his mouth turning downward. "So Pluto finally decided to take a direct interest. How unfortunate."

"It is indeed problematic, Prince, but it can be dealt with," Wiseman said. "But I have other news, your highness. Better news."

"And what is that?" Demando asked, not intrigued.

"A man travels with them."

Now Demando's attention was arrested. The Wiseman's words held a possibility. The copper scent of blood and silenced screams moved like a stream beneath an unspoken promise. The tantalizing possibility exploded in his mind, making the arrival of Serenity – his Serenity – better than he could have imagined.

He turned as if pulled by an animal, and his fingers curled as if poised to rip and tear. "Not Endymion."

"The very same. His past self at any rate."

Demando wondered if his blood would taste like sugar and wine.

"Kill him," Demando ordered. "Send as many droids as Saffir can spare and destroy him."

"Of course, Prince Demando," Wiseman deferred. "I assume the order extends to Sailor Pluto… but what of Venus? You did originally intend for all four of Serenity's guardians to live within your custody."

Demando considered his options for a moment, but the decision was quickly made. He waved his hand, a dismissal. "Three will work just as well as four."

"As you wish."

Demando prepared to leave then, having to see to the placement of the three guardians, the well-being of his assassins, and of course, _her_.

"Just one more thing, your highness."

Demando stopped, his back stiffening. "What is it Wiseman? I have things to attend to."

"I was just wondering… why tell her that we're on Nemesis?"

Demando paused, and looked over his shoulder. From just the right angle and the correct height, he could barely make out the tops of the crystal towers that marked the location of Neo-Queen Serenity's fortress. The windows were all impossibly high, built to accommodate a set of captives who should not be within sight of such a structure, but who had nowhere else to go.

"Because," Demando murmured, "I couldn't very well have her know just how close she is to leaving me, could I?" He left then, prepared to deal with all of the responsibilities that came with overthrowing tyranny and enthralling his soon-to-be lover.

Behind him, the Wiseman's laugh echoed. A death sentence.

* * *

_This was dying._

_Mamoru had been on the brink of death once before after his parents' car had flown over a cliff, so he knew. There was little he remembered before the accident and even during the accident, but the aftermath was as clear as anything. He'd felt his life draining from his veins along with his blood. His head had spun on a constant, dangerous high. He'd been as close to the afterlife as anyone could be, and he'd only just been brought back from the brink by the hospital._

_This time, it had been different. Beings from another world and a tree that bloomed death had ravaged him. He'd been tossed around like a tennis ball and pushed to the very edge of his endurance. For as long as he'd been conscious, he'd held on to a girl's hand, one that also belonged to a warrior, and found comfort. But now he was alone, lying in fog thick and endless as the sea. He knew that her tears and determination couldn't save him now. Perhaps nothing could._

_Mamoru thought he could handle dying, but he couldn't bear doing it alone._

"_You're not alone," a voice whispered in his ear, deep and throaty and older than legend._

_He tried to lift his head, but his vision swam in the attempt. He laid back down and just barely made out a silhouette. Tall and shapely with impossibly long hair. She was wearing the uniform of a Sailor Senshi. She carried a staff in her right hand._

"_Sailor Moon?" he asked, knowing it wasn't her and yet wishing that he didn't know._

"_I am another."_

_Mamoru coughed as he inhaled, wincing as every bone and muscle in his body throbbed. "Are you going to save my life?"_

"_I will help," she assured him, her voice blessedly calm. She did not panic in the face of death. Perhaps she'd seen it too many times before._

"_I'm glad," Mamoru said, unsure of another option._

_She chuckled, and some tension in his body melted away. "I would imagine as much." She paused, and he thought he might have heard her sigh. "Before I can help you, there is something that I need to ask you."_

"_Anything."_

_A young, high voice shouted his name in the distance._

"_Do you think all sins can be forgiven?" the older woman whispered._

_He was not the type to give instant answers. Her question had been pondered by theologians and moralists for as long as there had been thought. For every analyst, there was a different answer. It wasn't something Mamoru had given much thought. He'd sworn to dedicate his life to helping others, and in a way, he thought that would cancel out any minor indiscretions he might commit over the course of his life._

_But the answer mattered to her, and he knew she couldn't just be asking about a little lie or social faux pas. There were some sins that Mamoru thought couldn't be overlooked – murder and rape and cruelty for cruelty's sake. And yet he knew he could not say this._

"_I think yours will be."_

_She laughed after another moment of uneasy silence. "You don't even know me."_

"_You're saving my life," he murmured, darkness clouding his vision._

_She said something to him then, but he never heard it. Her voice had faded into the shadows as darkness overtook him, and he was too busy paying attention to that young, high, girlish voice shouting his name across space and time._

* * *

"Thank you," he whispered, shutting his eyes.

"I need no thanks," she answered softly, pushing a hanging vine away with her staff. "Just live as you were meant to live. That's all I need."

Mamoru swallowed, finding his mouth was unbearably dry. He hadn't had a drink of water since before he'd been discharged. The dehydration was beginning to get to him. "Did you save me because of who I used to be?" Mamoru asked softly. "Because I used to be… someone who could help them?"

Pluto looked over her shoulder, her eyes briefly resting on Venus's face before they found his own. "I saved you because of who you will be, Chiba Mamoru."

"And who's that?" he asked softly, the weight of his passenger suddenly much heavier.

Pluto actually looked as though she were about to answer when the landscape changed again. Now they were standing in some sort of grassy field. The sky was like a pink and aqua kaleidoscope and the area bare save for a single dead tree. The shift made her frown.

"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked nervously.

"This isn't right," Pluto muttered. She tightened her grip on her staff, shifting her stance so that her weight was more evenly balanced. "This area isn't supposed to appear yet. The pattern's off."

Mamoru bit the inside of his cheek and readjusted Venus on his back. "I'm guessing that's not a good thing."

Suddenly, Mamoru saw something move in the distance. A wall of what seemed to be people had appeared out of nowhere, and they were quickly advancing. They moved oddly. Every step was slightly jerky or mistimed. It didn't seem human.

"Damn," Pluto cursed, her heels digging into the dirt.

"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked, although he had a sinking suspicion. The weight of the weapon on his side felt heavy, and he found himself wishing that Venus would wake up.

"Droids," she answered, her teeth clenched.

"Excuse me?"

"The minions of the Black Moon Family," Pluto explained, staring ahead. She couldn't waste time looking at him. "They're like the demons sent to fight the Senshi before. A combination between magic and machine – a technology they stole. They breathe and they bleed, but they have circuitry like any other computer would. Quasi-living."

"What do they want?"

She raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "A few things," she said, pondering. "They were sent principally to stop us from reaching Crystal Tokyo. I would guess that Demando had sent them in part to capture Venus, but I very much doubt that he would have sent so many to do that job. There are at least fifty of them." She paused and then shook her head. "No, after all the damage she's done to three of his assassins, he doesn't care to leave her alive. He has no love lost on the sisters or especially Rubeus, but he owes them something. Her body ought to repay the debt."

Mamoru's arms tightened against Venus's legs, as if holding on would somehow save her. "What about us?"

"I imagine they've wanted to get rid of me for some time," Pluto admitted, smirking. "I've made time travel considerably difficult for them, although not completely impossible. As for you…" She closed her eyes and looked regretful. "Demando has longed for your head for as long as he can remember."

Mamoru very much wanted to set Venus down so that he could be sick all over the Time Gate. "What are we going to do?" he asked, hoping she didn't notice how much his voice was shaking.

"We hope that she wakes up," Pluto said, indicating the perpetually unconscious body of the Sailor Soldier. "She's more suited to one-on-one combat, but it would be nice to have a sharpshooter taking them out from a distance." Then she looked at him, and her eyes were so intense that he straightened. "Bring her around and stay behind me."

Mamoru blinked, wanting to argue and wondering why in the world he felt that impulse. "But you gave me the--"

"In case of an emergency," she interrupted. She rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling kindly. "I do not believe it will come to that just yet."

"How do you know?" His voice was hushed and heavy.

She shrugged and said nothing more.

She didn't have a chance to.

* * *

Luna and Artemis reached the Tsukino's neighborhood completely out of breath, but even when the front door was in sight, they somehow moved faster, making a beeline for the tree outside of Usagi's window. They crawled up without their usual grace, flinging themselves through the opening. Here, Artemis paused on the bed, but Luna continued, meowing at the top of her lungs.

She looked around frantically, desperately trying to find a sign that Usagi was safe and at home. She paused, hearing noises from downstairs. She raced down the stairs, praying that she would find the blonde sitting on the floor, surrounded by her family, all tuned to the television. She skipped the last three steps and dashed into the living room, gasping for air.

Kenji was in his easy chair. Ikuko hovered behind him. Shingo sat on the couch.

Usagi was nowhere.

"My God," Ikuko whispered, her fingers covering her mouth. "I can't believe this."

The Aino home was on the television screen, a reporter rapidly giving details Luna had already heard. A girl and a man had gone in. Two Senshi and that same man vanished in a flash of light. The house was demolished. There was no sign of Aino Minako.

Kenji reached up and grabbed his wife's free hand. "It'll be all right."

Suddenly, Minako's parents were on the screen. Her father struggled against three police officers, trying to reach what was left of his home. He couldn't be heard, but Luna knew that he screamed for his daughter. Her mother seemed worse off, sitting on the curb and staring at nothing, completely catatonic.

Luna wondered how the Tsukinos would react once they realized their daughter was gone.

She bent her head and no longer bothered to stop the tears. She whispered her charge's name too softly for the humans to hear, though all she wanted to do was wail and scream like she was feral. Artemis came up beside her, short of breath but a welcome presence. He rubbed his head against her cheek and entwined his tail with hers, whispering in her ear.

Luna couldn't hear him. All she could hear were screams yet to be created. All she could see were the way the Tsukinos would break when they realized Usagi was gone.

* * *

The battle was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

Sailor Pluto fended off the first volley of attacks with a blast from her staff, and there was still enough energy left over to take out a couple of the droids. But the first wave was hardly the last. Spears made of ice and electric rings came flying from every direction, and there was only so much Pluto could annihilate before they reached her. A particularly deadly looking projectile grazed her shoulder, but Pluto made up for it when she sank the sharper end of her staff into the forehead of one of the advancing droids.

The droids moved closer, and Mamoru knew there was no way he was going to avoid being hit if he didn't find cover. He looked around for something to hide behind and quickly found a boulder he hadn't noticed before. He couldn't help but wonder if it had only appeared because he had need of it.

He sincerely hoped not lest the droids take advantage.

Mamoru ducked behind the rock and quickly laid his blonde burden to the ground. Venus stretched out on the ground before him, and the sounds of Pluto's endless battle with the droids threatened to make his sanity flee. He decided it was better if he didn't watch any more than he had to; listening to it was bad enough.

He winced at the sound of flesh being pierced and a wet gurgle.

"I am not cut out for this," Mamoru muttered, one arm curling around his unsettled stomach.

He sat there for a moment, attempting to collect his bearings. When it became clear that he was going to remain scattered and sick, he leaned forward and grasped Venus's shoulder. He shook her as gently as possible, wondering if she'd fly awake and go straight for the jugular before she knew it was him.

Or maybe she'd do the same if she saw his face.

"Minako," Mamoru said, raising his voice above the cacophony of war. "Minako, you need to wake up."

She didn't even wince. Paranoid, Mamoru leaned forward and felt for a pulse at her neck. Her heart was beating surprisingly strong for someone who'd lived through three battles in less than forty-eight hours. He guessed that's why she was a superhero.

"You're strong enough to be conscious, then," Mamoru informed her. "If that's true, you've got to wake up. Pluto can't do this alone."

As if to prove his point, Pluto's cry rocketed above the din, higher than he would have expected. His back went rigid and sweat broke out over his skin. He hadn't really thought of it before, but if Pluto fell and Venus didn't wake up, he was on his own with only a short sword to protect him.

With shaking fingers, he pulled out the scimitar with his free hand.

He shook Venus even harder. "Minako, I'm serious. Pluto needs your help." For a moment, he thought he saw the small girl's eyelids flutter, but she didn't stir. He growled and shouted, "Minako, open your eyes! We need your—"

Mamoru abruptly cut off at the sound of something light landing a few feet away. Terrified as he was to look, he whipped around, briefly maintaining the childish hope that Pluto had joined him. His heart plummeted to his knees when he came face-to-face with a pair of eyes like twin voids set into sallow flesh.

The droid tilted its head to the left, and Mamoru heard a quiet whir of circuitry. On the surface, it seemed like it was fully alive, but beneath, he knew that there was a mixture of veins and wires to make it truly animate. It was clothed in teal robes with hair like robins' eggs pouring from the top of its head. There was a blood red jewel inlaid in its brow with an inverted black crescent just barely visible.

"It's not fair for the playthings to hide behind rocks," the droid whined in a voice that dripped with saccharine and venom. "You should come out so we can all have a turn."

Mamoru tried to readjust his grip on the scimitar's pommel, but his palms were too slick. Unsure of what else to do, he thrust the sword in front of him, the tip gleaming in the rose light. "Get back," he threatened, hating that his voice quivered like a rabbit in a storm.

The droid clucked its tongue and shook its head again. "No fun. No fun at all to tear the frightened boy to bits." It jerked its thumb back to where Pluto was still fighting. "She was much more fun."

Mamoru fervently wished that he were confident enough to threaten the droid with a quip, but he couldn't speak anymore. He just crouched there, a shaking sword caught between his wet, trembling fingers.

He was not ready for this.

The droid sighed, but its expressionless face made its regret hollow. "No fun at all." Even so, the droid lunged forward, jaws gaping to reveal an entirely empty mouth. It reached out with both hands, sharp fingers driving for his eyes.

Mamoru just barely managed to roll out of the way, remembering too late that he'd now left Venus completely exposed. He turned quickly, eyes wide with terror. "Mina—"

He stopped mid-word, shielding his eyes by the bright flash of gold. The droid shrieked in pain, halted in mid-air like it as being lifted by wires. In seconds, it turned back and then broke apart. There was nothing left of it now but a pile of dust and a dull red jewel, black smoke rising from where the moon had once been.

Mamoru gaped, staring at the now fully awake Venus. She was lying on her side, finger pointed where the robot had been. She collapsed a moment later, chest heaving with the effort it taken her to do that much. She closed her eyes and hissed, "Don't pull out a weapon unless you intend to use it."

Mamoru tried in vain to suppress his shudders. The scimitar was completely free of blood or any other blemish. It had been a useless tool in his hands. He didn't want to think of the damage it could have done. "I—" he stammered, feeling desperately alone and unsure and so out of his depth that he would envy a drowning man. "I just—"

"Mamoru," she interrupted, sharp and exasperated.

He couldn't look at her, too busy staring at the blood-red jewels taunting him like her eyes might have been. His fingers trembled, and the blade looked pathetic in his hand. It would have been deadly and commanding in hers. Perhaps in anyone else's. He opened his mouth to speak, though he was lost as to what he might say.

"Why don't you put that away?"

Suddenly, Venus's voice sounded surprisingly gentle, so much so that Mamoru had to look to see that it was her. Her eyes were open again, far softer than he'd seen for a very long time. She pitied him – for his innocence, absurdly enough. Mamoru didn't care. He happily accepted it from someone other than himself.

He shoved the blade back through his belt and inched closer to Venus, keeping an eye out for anymore unexpected visitors. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to relax as he drew nearer. She may have been wounded, but she'd proven that she could still take care of the dangers he was hopeless against. "Pluto's out there by herself."

"I figured," Venus muttered, frowning.

"Can you stand?"

Venus laughed dryly. "I can't even sit up." The softness in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual steel. "You're going to have to hold me up."

Mamoru blinked, surprised that she'd even consider that option. "Are you—"

"Hey, I'm not thrilled about it either," Venus informed him, sighing dramatically. "But we need to face facts. I can't move, and Pluto's preoccupied. That leaves you."

Much as Mamoru hated it himself, her logic was sound. He doubted he could keep his eyes closed for whatever part of the battle still needed to be fought. Nightmares would dog his sleep for weeks to come, but he couldn't leave Pluto to fend for herself.

It was a small consolation that Venus's tone had lost much of its venom.

"Come on," Venus instructed, hitting him gently on the arm. "Make yourself useful."

Mamoru braced himself and got to his feet. He held out his hand for hers, and she grasped it firmly. He pulled, lifting her as far as could be allowed before he wound an arm around her shoulders. He felt the tension there, like wires pushed through her veins, taught and painful. But by the end, she was upright, knees weak but steady.

Ready for war.

* * *

Punch to the throat. Elbow to the gut. Forehead-to-forehead; heel-to-nose.

"Dead scream."

Another group of droids fell beneath the attack, littering the ground with seven more smoking jewels and dust piles. All that effort, and she was still left with half of her opponents. More to the point, fatigue began to overtake her. She'd taken a rather nasty hit from an energy blast several minutes before. It slowed her down considerably. She hadn't heard anything from where Mamoru had hidden with Venus, and that meant she'd be on her own for some time to come.

"Of all the times for that girl to take a power nap," Pluto grumbled, knocking another three droids senseless with the orb atop her Time Staff. Even from her position at the Time Gate, Pluto had been made to deal with many of Venus's quirks and idiosyncrasies, each one more irritating than the last. Still, she'd allowed (and occasionally been amused by) the woman to act as she would because when the chips were down, she could always be depended on.

As far as Pluto was concerned, the chips were now melded into the floor, and Venus had not come.

The droids continued to surge forward. Pluto now realized that she'd severely underestimated their numbers, and began to wonder if perhaps Saffir had at last learned how to make a successful cloaking device. But now was not the time for such ponderings. Instead, she focused on beating back the hoard.

Blood flew into the air as another droid tasted the Staff's metal. She gasped out the name of her attack more times than she could count, but still, they kept coming. Their numbers seemed endless; the situation not hopeless, but dire. Exhaustion loomed, but still, Pluto pressed on.

Suddenly, a droid lashed out at the back of her kneecap and her leg collapsed. She wheezed when she hit the dirt and quickly raised her weapon to defend herself. But before she could call out the name of her attack once more, she heard something entirely different.

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

Pluto turned sharply and was quickly thankful for the robot that had brought her to her knees. A thin yellow line arched beautifully, cutting through the red dust in the air and bringing light to the shadows. But at the end, there was nothing but grotesque carnage. The beam cut through the droids like scissors through papers, bodies ripped apart. A child taking toys apart with the senseless cruelty naiveté wrought.

But Venus's actions were neither senseless nor cruel. Her eyes might have been cold and defiant, but Pluto knew just how deeply she understood necessity. It was in every gesture she stifled and every feeling she suppressed. She had watched the earliest battles in London. She knew the horrors the blonde had witnessed. There had been times when she, an ageless guardian, had cast her eyes aside and thought of better times.

Another reason why she tolerated the flights of fancy, vexing as they were.

That Venus could be detached in this moment was no surprise. That she expertly held the flinch and ignored the nausea no one could blame her for feeling was to be expected. That she had come through in the end, Pluto realized ought to have been anticipated. To doubt even the younger version of the warrior had been folly.

The only thing that made Pluto pause was to see the soldier leaning heavily on Mamoru's arm. To see them move together, her finger outstretched with his hands on her forearms, guiding her around in a position obviously predicated brought Pluto's eyebrow to meet her hairline.

When the surrounding droids fell and the attack faded, Venus sought out her look as if she had been waiting on it all along. The blonde blushed, frowning, but her chin raised at the last second. A mannerism she'd copied from Mars that did not suit her. "It was either this or crawl."

Pluto chuckled at the statement, a defense that was childish in its haste. It reminded Pluto that for all her expertise and bravado, Venus was still only fourteen. "We can't have that."

Mamoru's eyes, paler now than she remembered, flicked up and caught sight of what Pluto knew must be more advancing droids. "How much longer than this go on?"

"I doubt Saffir sent his whole army to take care of us. Not even a significant portion," Pluto assured him as she dragged herself to her feet. It took considerable effort, but she did not need to lean on her Staff just yet. A small victory. "I do not think there will be any beyond this wave."

"Good," Venus breathed, not bothering to hide her relief. "Let's get to it then." Without another word, Venus stretched out her hand and let out a volley of what could have been twenty of her beams, racing towards the line of droids coming for them.

Pluto smiled quietly. "Nothing like the direct approach," she muttered, and then added her smoke and light to the storm.

* * *

The dust finally settled, and the trio was surrounded by piles of what had once been the enemy. Dust and stones littered the ground like forgotten garbage or the remnants of spring cleaning. Black smoke hung low from the fading crescents. But they stood victorious, and with that in mind, Venus thought it would be stupid to complain.

She disentangled herself from Mamoru once she'd sent another beam for the final droid, staggering away. She swayed, unsure of her own power for a moment. Breath filled her lungs and her palms found her knees, her aching back relieved to be bent the other way. She exhaled, eyes fluttering, but she wasn't on the ground.

The dull thump that followed wasn't that much of a surprise.

"You all right?" Venus called.

"I'm not hurt," he answered. It wasn't exactly what she'd meant, but it was all she was going to receive.

She thought of looking at him and judging for herself, but she didn't want to. She remembered the first night she had transformed into Sailor V, just a few nights before she'd moved to London and had to leave Artemis behind. The exhilaration had been intoxicating. Adrenaline coursed through her veins like a drug, her heels scraping against the rooftops aiding her flight, her skirt brushing against legs that had never tasted the night air. The shrieks of joy that echoed through Tokyo that night had been grumbled about the next morning. She'd beamed like polished topaz.

She chose not to remember the first night she'd transformed as Sailor V to fight, but she couldn't push away the scattered images from the aftermath. Lying at the bottom of the shower fully clothed. Tremors like an addict in withdrawal coursing through her limbs. Choking on her own vomit.

"Pluto," Venus said. "Do you need to lean on that staff the rest of the way?"

"I don't believe so," Pluto answered, panting with effort. "But if it's all the same to you, I'd rather hold on to it."

Venus nodded and pointed in a vague direction that might have been towards the tree. "Help me get something from that tree then. Let Mamoru just carry himself around."

The pair of soldiers took a moment before they began the somewhat long walk to the dead tree. Their feet sought out an unsteady path, occasionally stumbling. Eventually, Pluto held out her arm, and Venus took it without preamble.

"Why did you give him that sword?" Venus asked softly, trusting they were far enough away to prevent his overhearing. Of course, she doubted he would be in a position to listen.

"Would you rather I trusted in your ability to be awake at precisely the right moment?"

"He wasn't ready for that."

"None of us were ready."

Venus controlled the flinch with practiced ease, but Pluto smiled as though she knew exactly what had happened. "He's going to be worse off now. I know you couldn't help it, and I know it was necessary… But it's going to be harder."

"What is?"

"Getting him back." The words tasted like food that had been charred too much.

For a moment, Pluto almost looked taken aback. "I hadn't thought that was one of your priorities."

Venus paused for a moment, thinking of asking the woman just how she'd known that, but stopped. Sometimes Venus thought she might know _everything_, so she avoided wasting time with the question. "It's Usagi's priority."

Now Pluto frowned. "Do you think that's wise?"

Venus dropped the other woman's arm. "Look, I don't know what to think anymore. I don't even know you, but you dress like me and you act like you know me, so I'll agree to being your ally. But that doesn't mean you get to tell me how to deal with this. Usagi wants him back. She's risked everything for it. She's being held captive, and I don't know what's happening to her or the others. I don't know how to get them back—"

She broke off, her voice suddenly giving out. She closed her eyes, turning her head away from the muffled retching at their backs. "I don't know how to get them back. The least I can do is get _him_ back."

"And do you know how to go about that?"

Venus glared and held her hand aloft, index finger outstretched. A final golden bolt of light came bursting forth, slicing one of the straighter branches from the dead tree. Dust flew up from where it landed.

"No," Venus admitted sourly. "But at least I've got him with me."

Venus started to hobble forward to take the walking stick, but Pluto reached it before her. She snatched it up a second too quick, and for a moment it seemed to glow. Venus blinked, and suddenly it was straighter and sturdier than it had been just seconds before.

Pluto glanced over her shoulder. "You cannot force the tide, Venus. There are things at work beyond your control. I fear what may happen should you interfere too much."

Venus pulled the support from Pluto's grasp. "And I'm terrified to think what'll happen if I don't."

She turned to walk back to Mamoru, jumping when she found him standing just a few feet away. His bangs clung to his damp forehead, and his skin had a grey-green cast. But he was in one piece, and after the amount of times she'd gotten knocked around that day, Venus found herself so grateful part of her wanted to cry.

But later, not in front of him.

"Let's keep moving," Venus suggested, already making her way forward. She leaned heavily on her staff and winced with almost every step, but she was determined to get out of this place and reach whatever destination Pluto had in mind.

Besides, Venus knew that there was no way she would be able to survive another confrontation that day, and she was in no mood to die.

* * *

When they reached their destination, Petz threw her into the room and slammed the door behind her as though it were another prison cell. Usagi stumbled, shutting her eyes, unwilling to see the dismal quarters she would be staying in until Ami figured out how to get them out of there. But she knew it was pointless to hide from the truth for too long; she'd have to look sooner or later. Eventually, she took three very deep breaths and opened her eyes.

Usagi found herself unsure the second she took in her surroundings.

Unlike the other rooms and hallways she had seen, this one seemed to be carved out of blue crystal that almost looked like tinted glass. Floor to ceiling, all she could see was gemstone too translucent to be sapphire but too sturdy to be anything else. The room went on for what she estimated was nearly three stories, with the windows not appearing until the very top just underneath what could have served as a ledge. She kept it in mind for future reference. It was also very sparsely furnished, equipped only with a closet jutting from the wall.

There was also a bed. It was larger than her parents'.

Usagi swallowed and rubbed her bare arms, her flesh breaking out in fresh goosebumps. She took a few steps forward, wincing at the sound her shoes made against the ground. She kept them on, just in case.

Seeing nothing else to do, Usagi wandered over to the closet. It was at least twice her size and nearly as long as the bed. She couldn't find any handles to pull the doors open, but when she laid her palm flat to its surface, they swung open as if dictated by silent command. She gasped, but that wasn't why.

The wardrobe was filled to the brim with some of the most exquisite looking dresses she had ever seen. Usagi knew some of the fabrics used were likely more expensive than her entire collection of clothing. She reached in and smoothed her fingers against what might have been silk. It felt like liquid in her hands.

She checked over her shoulder, absurdly feeling like a child invading her mother's space. Assured that no one watched her, Usagi reached in and picked out a dress at random. It was the palest shade of pink, spun out of impossibly fine satin or something like it. Someone had weaved shining gold thread into the skirt about halfway down, and had added more and more of the thread until the bottom glittered like a shattered sun. The same gold thread had been used to stitch some embroidery around the bust line. It reminded her of fire, but somehow rendered harmless. Something white and filmy had been sewn to the back; it almost looked like fairy wings.

Usagi replaced the dress reverently and thought of taking out another. She shut the doors instead, turning in place until her back was to it. Then she slid down to the floor, her forehead coming to rest on her knees. It was a position familiar to her in this captivity.

"I want to go home," she whispered to an empty room.

Silence passed for just a few seconds too long before the room answered. "Are you crying?"

She jumped, swiping at her eyes on instinct although they were dry. She caught sight of Demando instantly, a ghost standing out amidst the dark walls. His eyes were narrowed; he might have been worried if he hadn't been her captor.

"No," she murmured. "I want to know where my friends are."

He stared down at her a moment before nodding. "Yes, I imagine you would." He took a step to the right; Usagi stiffened. "I can assure you that they're quite safe."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"They are all here," Demando continued smoothly. "Each is housed in a different room on a different end of the castle. Originally, the building was separated into quarters to accommodate four, but since one of your Senshi has managed to elude us, we have made do with three."

"I'm sure Venus would be happy to apologize for the inconvenience," Usagi said. She hated how her voice shook, making her sound as scared as she actually felt.

Demando's lips curled. "They have been bound to their rooms."

Remembering the collars, Usagi's cheeks flushed pink with anger. Driven by sudden adrenaline, she shot to her feet, finger pointed like a knife. "I won't let you put those collars on them again! Petz and the others nearly killed them, and I won't—"

"They have already been removed."

Her tirade interrupted, Usagi felt her body deflate. "Oh."

"They have been replaced with these."

With a flourish of his arm, Demando produced a jewelry box out of thin air. He waited, as though anticipating her reaction; when she didn't, he pulled the lid open as if she had not failed to meet his expectations. She leaned slightly closer to peer inside, but she needn't have. She'd seen the same earrings glinting from the ears of her enemies for the past week.

"Will those do the same thing?" Usagi asked, fearful of having to wear them herself.

"No," Demando said, his jawline becoming more pronounced. "The collars… I find them to be outdated and unnecessary technology. Loud and messy. They are Rubeus's preference. Not mine."

Usagi relaxed a little, but it didn't take her long to remember just how much Rubeus unsettled her. Just because this man was an improvement didn't mean that she was safe. They were still on the same side. "What will these do?"

"These simply track their movements," Demando explained. "And yours."

Usagi's chest seized, and she took a step back. "What if I say no?"

Demando looked at her blankly for a moment, as if this hadn't occurred to him. "If you say no… I said that I find Rubeus's methods distasteful; however, I will still employ them if necessary."

Without another second's hesitation, Usagi's hand snatched the earrings from him, and she began to put them on. "Am I supposed to stay in here then?"

"No," Demando said, gesturing widely. "You are free to roam about the entire castle at your leisure, Serenity."

Usagi winced. "That's not my name."

"You will only be permitted to see one of your friends at a time, I'm afraid," Demando continued, pretending he hadn't heard. "When you're with them, they will be allowed to leave their rooms, but they may not step outside their section of the palace. You will also be followed at a distance by a droid."

Usagi's blood momentarily froze. She had no idea what a droid was, but she was willing to bet it was Demando's version of a youma. She shuddered again, sliding the second earring into place. They were heavy.

She looked around the room again, staring out at her slightly better furnished prison. Even with the bed, it still looked unbearably empty. She marveled that she hadn't been crying when he found her.

"Why am I here?" she asked thickly. "Why did you take us?"

She heard him take a step forward. "Surely you already know that, Serenity."

Her face screwed up with pain, and her nails dug into her palms. She spun in fury, shouting, "That's not my name!"

In an instant, he had traveled the distance between them. One arm wrapped possessively around the small of her back while the other hand found the same hollow in her chin. That same look sprang into his eyes. Her entire body broke out into a sweat.

"I will call you by the name I choose," Demando said, his voice unbearably cool. "You will do as I say."

Usagi shook her head, trying to pry him off. "I won't, I—"

The colors in the room swam. Oranges and pinks floated on the air like a venomous sunset. Buzzing filled her ears that made it hard to think. She felt her body slacken in his arms. All the will to fight drained out of her body.

She stared in horror at the third eye that had appeared on his brow.

"You will do as I say," he repeated, his voice graver and echoing in her mind. "You can breakfast alone and lunch with one of your friends, but dinner will be with me. If I wish to see you at other times, you will obey. You will not talk about your life in Former Tokyo unless I ask you about it. You will not miss your home or your missing friend. You will not speak nor even think of the man that was last seen with Venus." He leaned in closer. She couldn't breathe.

"And I will take what I wish from you."

His lips falling onto hers was like a car crash. It bruised and tore at her insides. She felt as though his teeth might make her bleed, like his tongue would choke her. She wanted to rise up or push him away. She wanted to run and cower in a corner until he left her, but she couldn't move. Her body was not her own.

She thought of Mamoru and how they still had not kissed. She thought of Prince Endymion once upon a time and how his arms had shielded her and twirled her within hours of each other. She thought of Tuxedo Kamen, and how, if only he were still around, he would have flown to her rescue in an instant.

Her eyes flickered over to the window ledge. She could almost picture him there, cape billowing in the wind from the hole in the glass. He would stand there, straight and tall, glowering at this man who had dared to take what was not his. This man who had kidnapped her and now violated her.

But there was no one there. Tuxedo Kamen wasn't anywhere near, and he couldn't save her this time.

_Mamoru…_

Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks unbidden. The salted water traveled down the curve of her skin, meeting Demando's. He reared back instantly as if burned. He gaped at her wet face and then scowled, pushing her back. The third eye disappeared, and it felt like she could breathe again, although she could no longer stand.

"You think of him," he muttered tensely, his voice quiet. It reminded her of the moment after a lightning flash, before the thunder exploded in her ears. "When I forbade you."

Usagi's fingers covered her mouth as if she could defend it. She glared up at him through her wet lashes and hissed, "I won't talk about him because I'm scared of what you'll do to the others. But I will always love him, and there is no spell in yours or anyone's possession that will make me stop."

Demando's face spasmed, and his shoulders twitched. For a moment, she thought he was going to hit her, but all he did utter a wordless shout and stalk away from her, his violet cape swirling in anger. He vanished without opening the door, leaving her once more.

The moment he was gone, Usagi's resolve collapsed. Her arms wrapped around her body, although she wished they were broader and belonging to someone else. She clutched at her back, her fingers digging in, and let out a quiet moan. The tears flowed faster now, unimpeded by his presence. She felt sick, as though she had been drugged and was only now emerging from her stupor.

She wanted Ami to soothe her. She wanted Makoto to hurt him. She wanted Rei to yell. She wanted Mamoru to save her. And a part of her even wanted Minako, although Usagi didn't think she could predict her reaction. Not anymore. But maybe she would have made it hurt less.

Usagi sat there and cried until there were no more tears left in her. And it was at the end of that breakdown, when she sat on the floor completely drained and shivering, that she realized where she had seen the look in Demando's eyes before.

Beryl had looked at Mamoru exactly the same way.

* * *

At the edge of a golden meadow with a thick fog hanging over the grasses, Venus caught sight of a door that led to nowhere. She felt her shoulders droop at the sight of it, muttering, "God, this place makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense," Pluto contradicted in an all-knowing voice Venus was beginning to find annoying. "A door is an entrance or an exit depending on which way you come at it."

"Please say it's an exit," Mamoru pleaded dully, dragging a hand down his face.

Although it was meant as something of a joke, Pluto didn't look amused. If anything, she looked graver. "It is, I'm afraid."

Venus paused. "So we're here? At the future?"

Pluto nodded. "Once you're beyond those doors."

"I don't get it," Venus continued, leaning heavily on her walking stick. "You went back to the past to get us so that we could come here. We're here now. Isn't that a good thing?"

Pluto exhaled very slowly. "Venus, if anything the fact that I had to fetch you at all speaks to how very dire our situation is."

Before she could stop herself, Venus looked over at Mamoru warily. He looked as though he was going to be sick again, and all he'd been given was a vague warning. Venus pushed her head against her prop, mindful of splinters. "I want to sleep until I'm dead. Can we just do that?"

Pluto's face continued to remain stoic. This either meant that Venus's sense of humor got progressively worse the closer she was to collapsing, or something really unpleasant loomed in their new future. "Once you get beyond that door, you'll see…" she trailed off, almost flinching. "There'll be a path. Just walk down it for a while, and you'll meet up with someone. He can help."

Venus continued to stare at the doors as if more of those robots were going to pour out of them at any moment. "Aren't you coming?"

"I can't," Pluto murmured regretfully. "I've left the gate unguarded long enough. There isn't much danger of the Black Moon Clan doing any more traveling in the near future, but… there are other duties I must attend to."

"How will we know it's the right person?" Mamoru asked, sounding quite disappointed at being left alone with Venus again.

"You'll know," Pluto answered cryptically. Then, without so much as a fare-thee-well, Pluto turned on her heel and walked in the opposite direction. The fog seemed to gather around her like a shroud, and soon even her silhouette was gone.

Venus heaved a loud sigh. "She is weird."

"Yeah," Mamoru answered without much enthusiasm.

"Great hair," Venus added. "But still. Weird."

Venus glanced over at him, hoping for some kind of response, but he wasn't looking at her. His attention remained fixed on the doors beyond her, beads of sweat forming at his temple. His fingers twitched next to the blade Pluto had given him.

"Well," Venus said, much more subdued. "I guess we should go."

Mamoru swallowed. "Yeah."

As much as Venus would have liked to hesitate, she figured it was better to get it over with. Surely whatever lay beyond those doors wasn't as bad as Pluto had made it seem. Venus didn't think anything could be as bad as nearly a hundred artificial enemies or Rubeus's eyes.

She shuddered and moved forward, almost too quickly. She caught her balance before Mamoru had to think to do so, and then they both moved forward. They crossed the short distance to the door, their legs parting the mist that lay between. When they reached the exit, they both reached forward, but the doors swung open of their own accord. They moved slowly, tormenting them, dragging out the inevitable. Venus braced herself against an unknown foe, held her breath, and stepped through.

They were outside in the blink of an eye, and from where they stood on a cliffside, they could see a crater the size of a small island.

The whole world seemed blue, and for a moment, it was difficult to distinguish anything. But she quickly realized that the tiny mounds around the crater had once been buildings. She could still make out some sharp corners and even some nearly fully formed walls. She saw a church steeple and a sign for a grocery store. She thought she even could make out the remains of a child's swing set.

And then, directly ahead of them was a palace that seemed to be wrought from glass. Its numerous towers stood tall against the landscape, a harsh reminder of strength resolute in the middle of so much desolation. It was dull, lightless, and covered in black marks like wounds. It reminded her of a tomb.

It took her a moment to realize that she had covered her gaping mouth with her left hand. She closed it into a fist and slowly lowered it, but she could not look away.

"Jesus," Mamoru muttered.

"I can't…" Venus croaked. "People died here. A lot of people had to have died here." She swallowed and tried very hard to stop shaking. "I thought we were supposed to be in this future. I… I never would have let this…"

She trailed off because she obviously had.

"Where is this supposed to be?" Mamoru asked, stumbling out into the open. He coughed a bit when he inhaled. The air was full of dust and debris even though it looked as if the battle had been fought awhile ago. "It… We're still on Earth, right?"

Venus looked around, stepping up beside him to get a better look at their surroundings. She caught sight of a white globe in the sky, a moon almost full. "Same moon; same planet."

"But this… it can't be Tokyo," Mamoru insisted. "There's no way the city could have changed this much. I mean, it can't have been more than a few decades at the most, right?"

"I guess so."

"This architecture doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before," Mamoru continued undeterred. "It's leaps and bounds beyond what's around now. I mean, in our time, but it doesn't even look like anything from our time is still around."

Venus stared at the crater meaningfully.

Mamoru shook his head. "But the debris. All the pieces left, they look… They look like they're glass."

"People shouldn't build houses out of glass; they'll fall down," Venus murmured, knowing that didn't sound right.

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, frowning. "I mean, it looks like glass, but… it can't be. Because then there'd be nothing."

Mamoru ran his hand through his hair. "But what else could it be?"

"Crystal."

Both Venus and Mamoru jumped at the sound of a third voice. They both spun in opposite directions, pinpointing the speaker's location at different spots. It had been deep with a resonant quality that made Venus feel as though it were surrounding her.

"Who's there?" she demanded, one arm outstretched. She sincerely hoped she could make good on the implied threat and that her uncertainty didn't show. "Show yourself."

"Look straight ahead."

Venus swung her arm around; Mamoru turned in the same breath. She squinted and searched the landscape for their new visitor. Pluto had told them to meet with someone, but they hadn't gone anywhere. Besides, she wasn't willing to trust someone just because of some gut feeling. It may have worked the last time, but things were different now. Venus wasn't sure she could defend herself in a tight spot, and she felt as though time were running short. The longer Usagi and the others were gone, the more danger they were in. Venus had no time to waste on false friends.

Finally, Venus started to make out a shape. He was pale, strangely so. He seemed to shimmer as if he were barely there, though Venus guessed that had more than a little to do with the way her head spun occasionally. As he drew closer, she began to make out a stronger silhouette. He had donned a cape that billowed in the wind. He wore a lighter color – lavender, she thought. He carried a staff smaller than Pluto's; it seemed far more like a cane. And there was something wrong about him – about the way he moved or the speed he was walking. He seemed to walking at a leisurely pace and yet advancing quickly. It wasn't right.

That's when she realized it was a dead calm.

"Mamoru, get behind me," Venus hissed, dragging up what little power she had left from the tips of her toes.

"Minako, please," the other figure said, holding up a hand. "Don't waste your energy."

Venus froze. "How do you know who I am?"

"Because," he said, sounding almost amused. "I'm standing next to you."

If Venus had been in possession of more energy, she probably would have leapt away. As it was, the third party didn't give her much time to react. In a matter of seconds, he had traversed at least ten meters and now stood directly in front of them. His hair blew in nonexistent wind. His eyes were as blue as the messy sky behind him. A sad smile played on his lips. She could see right through him.

And still, she knew that she was staring into Mamoru's face.

* * *

Mamoru could not take his eyes off himself. He knew that had to be the logical conclusion from all of this. He had been sent to his own future; it stood to reason that he would run into his future self. He just had not been expecting it like this.

"What's…" Mamoru started, his throat suddenly dry. "Why…"

"In a moment," the transparent, masked Mamoru interrupted. "Is she safe?"

"Yeah," Venus said, staring. "She… she stayed behind."

This ghost or whatever else looked past them, towards the doors that Mamoru now realized were no longer there. He nodded slightly, saying, "I suppose that's for the best. She's safer there." Then he ran his eyes over Mamoru's form, but something weird happened with the movement, like a movie that skipped a few frames. "You're not transformed."

"You're telling me," Venus muttered.

The older Mamoru turned to look at the soldier. "And why is it just you? Where the others?"

Venus's cheeks burst into flame, and she could no longer meet the eyes that weren't quite there. Out of charity or gratitude, Mamoru decided to spare her. "Usagi and the other girls were… taken. By someone named Rubeus."

The other man couldn't really pale, but Mamoru imagined he would have if it had been a possibility. "God. What's happening?"

"You're supposed to tell us," Venus murmured softly, only sounding slightly accusing.

He nodded and moved forward, directly through them. Mamoru was expecting some kind of cold feeling, but in fact, it was more when he touched the TV screen after he turned it off. Crackling and energized. "I'll explain on the way."

"The way where?" Venus asked, still suspicious.

"The palace," the second Mamoru answered, gesturing in the direction of the giant tomb. "Where else?"

Mamoru had to admit, their guide had a point. There were no other roofs in town.

* * *

The doors closed, and Pluto exhaled fully, the air slowly leaking from her lungs until they were empty. She waited a moment before filling them again, shutting her eyes. They burned with fatigue; she had not slept more than eight hours since Small Lady had disappeared, if that.

Her forehead met the cool metal of her staff. She winced a bit when her skin came in contact with the residual energy of the battle, but she pressed through it and found it didn't hurt. This was no surprise; after all, it was a part of her. She felt as though she could have slept on her feet, so strong was her exhaustion. But she denied herself that option. Now more than ever, the princess had to be found.

"The king will know of your transgressions soon," the voice of her Father boomed.

She frowned, momentarily surprised. She should have expected him; she thought of how stretched she felt, how thin. "I know," she murmured, her fingers coming up to touch her temple.

"He will not be so forgiving of your actions."

"No, I imagine not."

"He does not have the power to cast you out," He said, his tone several steps away from reassuring her.

"But he has the power to do other things."

For a moment, there was silence and she thought He had gone. But then He never really left; He was always there, flowing around her like the mists. But when He did not speak, it was almost like an absence and she'd come to think of it that way.

"The Princess?"

Her fingers gripped her staff with growing ferocity. "I have scoured the times unconnected with the Senshi, and I do not feel her there. I believe she has been transported to another part of their lifetime." Her jaw tightened. "Only both their pasts and their futures are hidden from me now. It's too uncertain, and something bars the way."

"The Phantom."

"I suspect," she murmured. "He is usually behind such troubles, and he is also the reason why I cannot risk taking the time to seek her out. I told them that I doubt the Black Moon will try to travel through time, but in truth, I can guarantee nothing. Leaving the Gate unprotected would be devastating. There is no telling what he might do."

Her chest rumbled with the thunder of His voice and the wordless musings. Then He spoke. "I will search them for you."

Her body broke out into an instant sweat. "You would do that?"

"Not for you."

She controlled the wince only because she had centuries of practice. "I did not think so."

"This mistake must be corrected for the good of the timeline," He explained further. "If you cannot mend your own holes, I am left with little choice but to do it for you."

With that, He departed in as much as He could. She did not have the chance to thank Him; she wondered if she would have given that chance.

Her Father gone, she had little more to do than to go back to her silent, lonely vigil. She stood at the Gates, amidst a sea of waterless fog, and waited. Soon enough, she would neither be quiet nor alone. Soon enough, the cries of a king would pull her from her post or he would come to her. His words would sting like swords and perhaps he would bruise her for stupidity he had grown to think her incapable of. And still, no matter what he did, she knew it would be nothing compared to her own private agony. For her, there was no greater punishment than guilt and no greater pain than uncertainty.

"Small Lady," she whispered, only momentarily startled by the tear dripping down her cheek.

* * *

Mamoru had been half-expecting Venus to topple for some time now, and his concern grew all the more once Endymion – King Endymion, his future self – had finished telling them where they were. He imagined he looked no better.

"I don't believe this," Mamoru whispered, his eyes scouring the halls of the palace they had entered only moments before. Darkness sat in every corner now, but he could imagine a time when it had been beautiful. He could make out the marble below the dust and the crystal underneath the scorch marks. Chandeliers had fallen and shattered, and all kinds of decoration lay scattered on the floor. But he believed that before war had come, it had been a kind of paradise. It was one of the few things he could readily believe.

"A thousand years," Venus breathed, one hand sliding up her bare arm, as if reassuring herself of her own existence. "Not that I don't appreciate the immortality, but I never thought we'd live like that again."

"I would like to say that we did not expect it either," the King murmured, his feet and scepter making no noise as they struck the ground. "But in 1993, the year I believe you have come from, we were taken into the future – all of us, not just you two. We saw the same fallen city you have now seen, and we learned of our destinies. We were to be given stewardship over the planet after it died. My Serenity would reawaken the slumbering people of Tokyo, those we managed to save. And we would build a new Tokyo, one cast in crystal and gemstone, one meant to thrive in peace and prosperity."

Mamoru watched Venus's face contract when Endymion referred to Serenity – who he knew to be Usagi – as his own. She seemed to pale even more, though she had the tact to try and turn her face from both of them. "But the Black Moon," Mamoru muttered, folding his arms in front of his chest. "They attacked."

"Rubeus and the others are the descendants of the original rebels we imprisoned by two generations," Endymion explained. "The original group attempted to murder the queen right after the Awakening. Jupiter nearly died protecting her; she still has the scar."

Venus swallowed hard.

"Serenity always pitied the children and longed to release them from Nemesis," Endymion continued, undeterred. "But we could not take them back, especially when we found out Demando had been born. He became their prince, and he thinks he is their leader."

"Who is the real leader then?" Venus asked, a frown further marring her bruised features.

"A sage they know only as Wiseman," Endymion spat, looking truly riled. "He is the one who marked them with the Black Moon. He gave them their symbol and their name." His mouth opened as if he exhaled, but they heard no sound. Mamoru shivered at how closely his future self resembled a ghost. "He even made Demando a prince, capitalizing on the man's… obsession."

Mamoru furrowed his brow. "With what?"

Something darker than night crossed Endymion's face. Mamoru could not begin to guess what it was, but somehow, Venus knew.

"It's Usagi," she whispered fearfully. "Isn't it?"

Endymion hung his head. He didn't need to affirm her guess.

"So he took Rei and the others to make her—" Mamoru swayed on his feet, things falling into place. The answer they formed sickened him, and he had to lean on the wall for support. He could not get her face out of his mind, back when her wide smile had made him think of childhood summers and cotton candy. Now all he could think of was how she would look when Demando was done. "Oh, shit."

Venus dropped the branch she had been leaning on, suddenly able to stand and even walk just because of her adrenaline rush. Her hands trembled, but her voice remained stead. "We have to find her. Tell me where they've taken her; we have to get her now before—"

"I don't think he will go that far," Endymion interrupted. "Demando… He doesn't want power over her. He wants her to love him. He'll force his company on her, but… I don't think he'll force her." He closed his eyes, and Mamoru wondered if he was praying this prediction was correct. "Besides, you are in no shape to go after them yet. Not just the two of you."

Mamoru and Venus exchanged a significant glance. They had not told him yet, silently agreeing that it was not the time. With this new knowledge in hand, Mamoru knew they could keep no secrets.

"It would just be me," Venus admitted quietly.

Endymion straightened. "What?"

"He didn't remember," she hissed, turning her face away. "After the Makaiju was destroyed, he didn't remember. I… We don't know why. It's just how it happened."

Mamoru thought of Pluto and opened his mouth to explain. Then he promptly shut it again. Something told him this was a secret he would prefer to keep. Just this one.

"I see," Endymion said, sounding as though he were more confused than enlightened. "That must have been what went wrong. Why she was only able to bring two of you back." Endymion turned as if he stood on a platform, the rest of his body remaining still. Both Venus and Mamoru shivered. "So you have no memory of the Silver Millennium? Or of the battle with Beryl?"

Mamoru shook his head, shame-faced under Endymion's transparent but unforgiving eyes. "I only know what I've been told."

Endymion furrowed his brow, looking pensive. "I may be able to do something about that."

Venus stiffened. "Really?"

"It's a possibility," Endymion clarified. "But first, you must be healed. If I were better, I would have been able to do it when we first met. But as I am…." He gestured down at his body that wasn't really there. "I'm afraid I've had to put you under more strain than necessary. I apologize."

Venus shook her head, her energy still propelling her forward even though her legs should not have been able to support her. "I don't care. Just fix me up so that I can go get Usagi."

Endymion closed his eyes. "I've told you, staging a rescue of the four of them with a pair would have been almost impossible; if it truly is just you, I can guarantee only your suicide."

Mamoru hung his head at this grim prediction; Venus remained unfazed. "Pluto could help."

"Pluto has her own duties," Endymion said. "For now, we will heal you. Later, you may try and formulate some plan along with the strategists I can spare. I promise you, we will do all we can to get them back. But it will do us no good for you to be killed in a fruitless attempt." He paused in front of a set of double doors, which began to open with a small gesture of his hand. "In here."

Mamoru trailed after the king, although he quickly wished he hadn't. Judging by the noise Venus made, she shared this particular opinion. Endymion had taken then into what seemed to be an infirmary, and it was filled past capacity with injured soldiers. Mamoru looked around and saw men and women with missing limbs, covered in what looked to be fifth-degree burns, and bearing still more disfiguring injuries he could not immediately identify. He knew as a future doctor, he ought to have been able to handle the scene in a detached, professional manner. But he could not help but be sickened by the level of carnage knowing that this had all been done intentionally. He couldn't imagine having ever been equipped with the constitution to handle this without feeling something.

Something solid and heavy fell against him. He turned just in time to see Venus nearly crumble, and he steadied her before he could think better of it. She did not complain this time, but she did not thank him either. She was transfixed by the cost of this war, and for a moment, Mamoru thought perhaps she was not so jaded as she tried to appear. Maybe underneath the harshness that seemed ill-suited for her, she really was just a girl. He wondered if that coarse strength was a mask she always wore or one donned just for his benefit. He wondered if he'd ever have the courage to ask.

"The others…" she whispered. "They're with the people who did this."

A lump lodged itself in Mamoru's throat. If Venus was right, if the other girls had been taken to make Usagi cooperate with Demando's demands, there was no telling what kind of horrors they would undergo. If Usagi refused, they could be tortured and maimed, just like these people. After all, a normal human body could withstand the most devastating injuries imaginable. He had no idea how much a Senshi's body could take before giving out.

"She won't let them get hurt too badly, I know," Venus continued, sounding on the verge of tears. Mamoru wanted to tell her she didn't have to bother to fight them. "But then I don't know what price she'll have to pay." Venus closed her eyes, her lips pressed so tightly together they were whiter than her skin. "This is my fault."

Mamoru started to deny this, but he didn't have the chance. "Hurry up," Endymion called out several meters in front of them. "There's no need for you to see this."

Venus let out a shaky breath and stepped forward, although she would not open her eyes. Somehow, Mamoru managed to guide her past bedrails and scurrying nurses without being too invasive. He assumed from her silence that she was grateful.

Soon after, they arrived in a private area that looked to be reserved for a more seriously injured patient. At first, all Mamoru saw were the amount of tubes and wires. He looked at the vitals and cringed at how weak they were. He looked at the nurse who bowed and left when they entered, at how defeated her eyes were. Only after registering these details did he bother to look at the patient. Had there been anything left in his stomach, he would have been sick again.

The eyes were sunken, the cheekbones sharper, and the skin paler, but Mamoru would have recognized himself anywhere.

Venus moved forward, mouth open and eyes wide. Beneath the shock, he could have sworn he saw pity and compassion. It seemed even where he was concerned, she could be moved. She reached forward, brushing the hair out of his eyes; Mamoru swore he could feel a ghostly touch skimming his forehead where her fingers would have been. "What happened?" she whispered.

"There was an explosion," Endymion murmured. "Most of my wounds have healed, but… my body is only as strong as the spirit, and that is very weak now. I've been in a coma since the first attack. What you see now is merely a holographic projection of my thoughts."

In another situation, Mamoru would have questioned how this was possible. "What about the others? Minako… Venus's future self and Oda—Serenity? What happened to them?"

Endymion looked grave. "After the first attack, the Senshi went to the center of the palace. There is a pillar that can amplify their power. They have stood there for weeks now, forming a blockade of energy around the palace and all those that remain in the city. You arrived within this barrier, so you probably did not see it."

"What about Usagi?" Venus repeated forcefully.

Mamoru watched as an unbelievably profound sadness entered the eyes that were a reflection of his own. He had seen that look in a mirror only once before; when Dr. Yakamura had come to tell him that his parents were dead and Mamoru realized he could not even remember their faces. He had always hoped he would never look like that again. But now his future self looked utterly wrecked over a woman Mamoru could not imagine feeling that strongly about. He cared for Usagi. He wanted her safe. He even felt a strange desire to protect her although he knew that power was denied to him. But he could not imagine loving her, not like that.

This was why Venus hated him; Mamoru didn't think he could blame her.

"She is alive," Endymion murmured. "But she… I will take you to her. Once you're healed, Venus." He gestured toward Mamoru. "From what Pluto has told me, direct contact between a past and future self would be devastating. A paradox would form, and both of us might disappear."

Mamoru took a step back before he realized he'd done it. "I'll be fine over here then."

Venus stared at him, but reluctantly obeyed. Mamoru folded his arms in front of chest, staring at his own body. It resembled a corpse even with the breathing machines and other unrecognizable accoutrement. Mamoru turned to where Venus stood, watching her take his hand.

And then the power came.

The whole room filled with a soft gold glow, and it took Mamoru a moment to realize it was seeping out of Venus's own skin. She inhaled deeply and closed as if in deep meditation. The light swirled around her as if it was somehow familiar with her. Her skirt rippled, blown by an unseen wind, and within moments, there was an even brighter flash. Her hair and collar stood on end as tiny sparks like supercharged fireflies flew around her body. They concentrated on the areas Mamoru knew bore serious injuries – her leg and her back. Her skin turned a more healthy color and all her bruises and scrapes seemed to fade back into her flesh. Then, just moments after this process had begun, the light disappeared, the wind slowly dying down. Her clothes and hair righted themselves and the glow receded. Her eyes opened in the same moment he let go of the king's hand.

"I can heal," he murmured.

"It is not something you're meant to discover until much later," Endymion explained. "However, under the circumstances, I think it will be difficult if not impossible to keep such secrets from you."

Venus stepped away from the body, her eyes sparkling with the vitality she had lost over the past few hours. "Usagi."

The vision of the king nodded, turning in that same unsettled way. "Follow me."

Conscious of her improved health, Endymion floated (Mamoru could not comfortably say that he walked) away from them faster. Venus quickly jogged after him, looking as though she wanted to run forward even though she would not have known where to go. Mamoru hesitated, staring back at the prone figure that lay in the bed; he wondered how much that display had cost.

"Mamoru!" Venus called impatiently.

"Yeah," he answered, turning his back. He couldn't stand to look anymore, but he didn't know if what lay ahead would be any better.

He saw nothing between the infirmary and their destination. All that surrounded him blurred and paled. His mouth dried as if paper had been shoved into his mouth and all of his limbs felt cold. He wanted to stop. He wanted to tell them that he didn't want to see her. He wanted anything but the answers to the questions he couldn't ignore. Why hadn't she met them? Why hadn't she been in the infirmary if she was injured? Why did Endymion look ill when he spoke of her?

Why did she love him?

Venus's gasp broke him out of his reverie. She ran forward, only swerving to avoid Endymion's translucent form at the last possible second. She stopped when at what looked like a crystal monument in the middle of an otherwise empty room. Her knees hit the floor and a sob escaped her mouth.

Only then did Mamoru realize it was Usagi, or Serenity. He could just barely make out her form within the stone. She lay there like every depiction of Snow White in the glass coffin he had ever seen – hands folded; eyes closed; seeming dead yet not decaying. He thought back to the production he and the girls had been in together and how much Usagi had wanted to play the titular role. He'd wanted it to be Ami. His muscles twitched as if longing to move forward, but he stayed perfectly still. It didn't feel right somehow, like his presence would have been an intrusion.

He couldn't remember loving her; what right did he have to be near her?

"What happened?" he asked, only because he thought Venus could not.

"She's very weak," Endymion explained, his pale face tired and withdrawn. "The attack that struck her… it would have killed her if she had not been protected. Staying within that formation is the only thing keeping her alive. When she is well enough and strong enough to fight, she'll break free. But until then, she recovers in sleep."

The three of them remained there for what may as well have been days, none of them moving and none of them breaking the silence. Mamoru thought perhaps both Endymion and Venus would keep up this vigil for days, as if watching the queen would somehow pull her out of her sleep. He thought back to the fairy tale again; legend said a kiss would wake her, but her lips were guarded by three feet of what might have been quartz. This was one damsel who would have to save herself.

"Perhaps you should rest now," Endymion suggested gently. "I can take you to your rooms; you can sleep. And in the morning, I'll tell you what happened."

Mamoru nearly agreed, his neck already beginning to bend in a nod. He stopped when Venus spoke, her voice a mess of broken glass.

"No," she whispered, looking over her shoulder. Mamoru was now glad he had not told her to cry before; seeing her now was unbearable to the point where he had to look away. He'd never thought steel could break. "No. I will not go to bed. I will not rest a wink until I know what happened to her. You'll tell us now."

Mamoru squeezed his eyes shut tighter. He prayed Endymion would refuse. He didn't know if he could handle any more revelations, least of all those that revealed how a city had been leveled and how a monarch had been brought so low. He did not want to hear of Demando's obsessions or the hand Rubeus must have played in this destruction. He felt like a five-year-old that wanted nothing more than to go home. It was odd to feel that way again when the last time he'd felt this way, he'd had no home to go to.

"All right," Endymion whispered. "I'll tell you now."

Mamoru's heart sank, but he did not protest. Perhaps it was better to rip the bandage off now rather than pull it off at a slow peel. Maybe pain was easier to forget when it all happened at once. He doubted it, but he was in the mood to hope. So he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and listened as Endymion told them the story.

"It all began when Serenity decided it was time to make a trip to Nemesis, the tenth planet that had become a prison."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Okay, I'm just going to come out with this: it is going to take forever and a day for the next part of _Forgotten Forever_ to come out. I know, I know, and I'm sorry, but here's the deal. The next chapter is actually an interlude (not included in the chapter count by the way) in which we will see the circumstances leading up the creation of the Black Moon, the war, and the fall of Crystal Tokyo. It's very exciting and whatnot, but the very sparse outline is about three pages, and lately I've been having this tendency to be nearly done with a chapter and realize I need more scenes. Also, I really think I need to re-watch this arc of Sailor Moon again before I continue. I don't quite remember everything, and I need a refresher.

So, yeah, don't be holding your breath on the interlude, please. ;

And I also want to leave you with this thought: assuming won't make an ass out of you, but it might not make you all that happy by this story's conclusion. Just saying. Keep that in mind.

Anyway, I want to issue huge thanks as always to Yumeko, my most fabulous beta-reader. And of course, another big thank you to all the readers and reviewers who follow this story. You guys keep me going, for real. Until next time!

Coming Soon - Interlude: No Angel Came


	11. Interlude: No Angel Came

Forgotten Forever

Interlude – No Angel Came

by Kihin Ranno

"This isn't a good idea."

Neo Queen Serenity gave Mars the steady smile that had become her trademark. The wild grins of her youth were scarcely seen now, and they had each become accustomed to this quiet expression. She swept her arm around at the various servants scattering around the area and the shuttle that would take them to their destination. "I think it's a little late for all that, Rei."

Mars flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I've been against this since you first had this idea."

"We all have," Jupiter added, ignoring the raised eyebrows Mercury and Venus gave her.

"And isn't it amazing how none of your protests have impacted me in the slightest?" Neo Queen Serenity said, laughing. A few of the servants slowed to listen to the sound – like crystal glasses clinking together at a party with diamond wine sloshing within.

King Endymion sighed slightly, winding his arm around his wife's delicate shoulders. "You must admit, Usako, they have a point. Nemesis is and always will be dangerous territory."

Jupiter nodded sharply, folding her arms across her chest. "And that's independent of the part where we made it a place to house violent rebels."

"They chose to go there."

"Not one of their best decisions though," Venus added.

Serenity nodded in agreement. "Nevertheless, while the planet holds the descendants of the exiles, it isn't a prison of our making."

Mercury shifted uncomfortably. "But since the planet reappeared, we have taken some measures to keep them from leaving." She paused. "Though of course we know those won't do much good."

Neo Queen Serenity clasped her hands in front of her, her clear blue eyes losing their amusement, slipping into sobriety. "Listen to me, all of you. I know there have been some… reservations about this trip."

Mars and Jupiter both made rude noises.

"But I maintain that we have no choice," Neo Queen Serenity continued, undeterred. "I can't say that I'm looking forward to the journey either, but I recognize the fact that it is necessary."

For a moment, Mars's harsh violet gaze softened. "You still think you can stop the war, don't you?"

Neo Queen Serenity reached forward and grasped Mars's hand tightly. "Until the first assault is launched, we can always stop the war."

Now Mercury looked doubtful. "With all due respect, I know that the future isn't set in stone, but frankly, I don't see how this can be avoided short of eliminating Wiseman."

"Which we already know isn't possible without the strength of two crystals," Venus murmured, not without some bitterness. She had tried for years to come up with a form of attack that could have the same impact without having to bring together two Ginzuishou. She had suggested that they might have had a chance – a very slim chance – had Saturn been with them, but the soldier of revolution had given her life to bring about the Great Ice a millennium before. They had wondered if she might be reborn, but they didn't think it was likely. They had all remembered too late that Chibi-Usa had been most excited about seeing Hotaru when she journeyed back through time. They now realized it was because it was the only place she could see Hotaru.

Neo Queen Serenity nodded. "I know that's what you believe. But I think if we can reach the right people, if we can somehow protect them from his poison, we have a chance. Now that Nemesis has drawn itself out of the shadows, we can go there and try to help those people. Those who wanted to return have, but for those who would rather brave that harsh terrain rather than be purified and live among us, we can help them. By doing that, yes, I hope we can stop the war." She paused, hanging her head slightly. "And even if we can't… I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try."

This all made them lapse into thoughtful silence. They ruminated over this for a moment, until Venus flashed a roguish grin. "If all you want is to know how you can make their lives better, you could just send me!"

Neo Queen Serenity patted the blonde's shoulder. "Yes, dear, but you do have a tendency to embellish."

Venus stuck her lower lip out. "You are an unkind and unfeeling tyrant."

"So I'm told."

"Didn't we send spies three months ago when it first appeared to tell us that sort of thing?" Endymion asked.

"We have spies to alert us to security risks," Mars corrected.

"I could have done that too," Venus insisted.

Mars couldn't stop the unbecoming laugh that escaped her lips. Now pinned under her leader's unhappy gaze, she shrugged. "Minako, let's be honest. Your idea of espionage is dressing in tight clothing, drinking martinis, and flirting shamelessly with every man who crosses your path."

Indulging in some of her more childish behavior, Venus stuck her tongue out and then flounced over to the flight crew. A moment later, the other Senshi drifted off to attend to various duties before take off, leaving the King and Queen to themselves.

"It's sweet of them to worry," Neo Queen Serenity said in a voice that didn't quite match her words.

Endymion chuckled. "But that doesn't mean you have to like it."

"No," she agreed, laughing a little herself. She rested her head on his chest for a moment, seeming to absorb his strength. To the others, she always tried to remain in the guise of a capable monarch. Only in quiet moments such as this did she show him her vulnerability. "They act as though I'm going to be shot on sight."

"To be fair, Usako, a great many people there aren't too thrilled with you."

"I know that," she muttered. "But the real rebels have all died out. They're not afraid of them because of their ideals; they're afraid of them because of a priest who hasn't even appeared last we heard. And I want to go there to stop his influence in the first place."

Endymion leaned forward and kissed his wife on the forehead. "But it's sweet of them to worry."

"I suppose."

He paused, frowning. "Is it sweet of me to worry too?"

She smiled up at him. "Darling, you invented the concept."

"Good," he said, not returning her grin. "Because I am worried."

"Even though I'll be well protected by you and all four of the Senshi," she reminded him.

Endymion felt the muscles in his back seize up and clench painfully. "They couldn't protect you from… him before."

Her good nature fell away like water rolling off the skin. "Oh. So that's what this is about."

Endymion raked his free hand through his hair. "You can hardly blame me for being paranoid. I am the one that rescued… or maybe will rescue you from him."

"If that even happens."

He chose to ignore this point of hers. "I know what he can do to you, Usako. And I know what he wants. That scared me hundreds of years ago, and now that I've had time to think of it and to live a little more… it terrifies me now."

She turned slightly and took his face into her hands. She was much taller than she had once been before the coronation. She no longer had to stand on tiptoe to hold him like this. He almost missed that about her, even if it was easier on his back.

"Mamo-chan," she whispered, the seldom used nickname sending shivers up his spine. "It wasn't his fault."

"I know that," he grumbled, although he still felt fully within his rights to blame the man all he wanted.

"He was confused, he needed love, and he turned to me because I'm a symbol," she continued. "I don't blame him; I never did. I wish you wouldn't either."

He lifted his hands to cover her own, skimming his fingers against her flesh, feeling her bones and her veins beneath the soft skin. "That's a hard thing to ask."

"I ask only because I know you can."

Endymion winced slightly at her words. She always knew just what to say to him to get her way.

"We're ready to go!" Jupiter called out. "Unless you want to change your mind?"

"No!" Serenity sang back. "Prepare to board."

She turned back to her husband, still giving him that soft, steady smile. Then she turned her head and placed her lips against his own, kissing him so lightly it felt like feathers brushing against him. When she pulled away, he rested his forehead against her own.

"I just want you safe," he whispered.

"I know, love," she whispered back. "I know."

They stood like that for a moment longer and then turned in the same movement to advance to the shuttle. They threaded their fingers so that their hands clasped as they strode forward, nodding politely as their subjects bowed in respect and bade them their fond farewells. They ascended the ramp behind the Senshi, their shoes clanging against the metal, a sound they seldom heard in their crystal ceiling. Then they turned and waved goodbye to the assembled press before drawing away into the craft.

Just before the shuttle doors closed, Serenity leaned over and said, "Besides, I'm sure Demando's little more than twelve. How much trouble could he be?"

-----

Thus far, Endymion wasn't willing to call the trip to Nemesis a stirring success.

Their reception had been somewhere between cold and lukewarm. The members of government, such as it was, had greeted them with plenty of enthusiasm, but Mars had bitterly noted this had a lot to do with their hopes of being reassigned. They had endured a day of meetings before Serenity had gotten stir crazy and began to speak directly to the people, driving each of her guardians up a separate wall. She had not been met with outright hostility as far as he knew, but he knew the looks in their eyes had hurt her.

To make matters worse, they weren't hearing anything encouraging. Resources were much thinner than reports had indicated, and although Endymion didn't have the facts and figures in front of him, he had no idea how they were going to get the money to improve the situation. Most of the funds from taxes went towards building Crystal Tokyo, and they could hardly justify taking money from exiles. Complaints of the weather were frequent, and Endymion knew those perhaps wore on her more than the others. The acid rain on Nemesis was deadly. When they had first learned of it, Serenity had happily recalled the controlled weather of the Silver Millennium and assumed she could do something similar. Unfortunately, through a combination of awakening memory and trial and error, they had realized that the only way to affect the weather was to have Serenity constantly present and working the magic to counteract the elements. Even she had been forced to admit that this wouldn't be possible.

Now Endymion looked on his wife with a kind of sadness. She was tired. Exhausted from problems she didn't know how to fix and from the extra energy she spent fending off the rain while she could. She needed to sleep, but before she'd consent to rest, she had insisted on meeting with the agents they had placed on the planet at the very beginning – the friends none of them had seen in years.

"Does my hair look all right?" Venus asked, running her fingers through the blonde locks.

With Venus's back to them, no one felt the need to suppress the urge to roll their eyes.

"It's fine, Minako," Mercury murmured with diplomacy.

"Just like the other ten times you asked today," Mars grumbled.

Jupiter reached over to the blonde from her seat at the table and pinched her elbow. "Trying to impress someone?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Venus scoffed and shook the brunette off. "Please. I am so over that." She paused, fluffing her bangs. "But we're all well aware they have a certain appreciation—"

Just then, a rapid but oddly syncopated knock echoed through the room. Both Venus and Serenity let out squeals that seemed at odds with their adult bodies, and his wife couldn't stop herself from pushing past all of them to fling the door open.

In the doorway stood two women who couldn't be more nondescript, each with varying shades of brown hair and eyes and wearing clothes drab enough to make them blend into the background without being completely unfashionable. But the roguish smile on the one and the elegant posture on the other would have branded them to anyone who had known them when their eyes had been blue and one had hair like the sea.

"Neo Queen Serenity," the taller one said with a sweeping bow. "How may I be of service?"

Serenity let out another girlish yelp and threw herself at the pair. "Haruka! Michiru! I've missed you so much!"

With the queen of Earth hanging off her neck, Haruka gently maneuvered the trio into the room while Michiru surreptitiously pulled the door shut behind them. "We've missed you too, little queen."

"You better have missed me too," Venus called out scandalously enough to have Mars stomp on her foot.

Haruka gave her a wicked wink.

Michiru let out a wistful sigh. "How easy we fall into old patterns." She began to circle the room, offering polite but genuine hugs to all, Haruka just one stop behind her. "Our apologies for not being able to set up a meeting before now. If we'd dropped out of sight on the first day of your visit, it might have looked suspicious."

"Of course," Endymion said as Haruka caught his hand in a firm shake. "Your safety is our top priority."

Michiru gave him a sour look almost undetectable through her prim nature, but she refrained from comment.

"Before we get down to business," Haruka said, glossing over the tiny bubble of tension between them, "what's new in your neck of the galaxy?"

Each of them had something new to share with the pair. Endymion happily discussed Chibi-Usa for the better part of an hour, supplementing each story with a photo stored on a portable holographic projector. Mars, who met with Pluto on occasion, related how she was doing, although this news was understandably short. Jupiter gave them the news of her new restaurant chain, while Mercury related some of her latest findings in the experiments the research department was doing, most of it flying above all their heads. And Venus was more than happy to regale them with a number of stories regarding her latest failed relationships, though Endymion tuned out when it came to the sexual escapades out of habit.

Finally, they lapsed into a period of silence, and Haruka took that as her cue to begin the debriefing. She leaned back in her chair, cracking her knuckles loudly. "Well, as you can see, no black moons yet."

"Thank Serenity," his wife intoned, invoking the name of her mother, a curious habit she had developed after the Awakening. "And the Wiseman?"

"Not even a shadow in the mirror," Michiru sighed, swirling the wine in her glass. "Which I find odd. We know Demando is alive, so it stands to reason that he ought to be appearing shortly."

Endymion felt his shoulders ache from the tension that suddenly rose in his upper back.

Oblivious, Jupiter shrugged. "It's not like we ever had an exact timeline. Maybe the shriveled bastard doesn't show up until the kid's balls drop."

Venus's loud guffaw was interrupted by a hiccup.

Mercury subtly moved the drink away from her. "I hate to say it, but there's still time. Demando was easily in his twenties when he attacked. How old is he now?"

"Fourteen."

Venus leaned over to Jupiter and failed to whisper, "I expect they've dropped then."

Jupiter patted her on the head. "Down, girl."

"Don't joke about that," Endymion snapped with venom that surprised but did not unnerve him.

Uncomfortable silence settled around the room like a suffocating blanket. They all sobered with his temper, their looks respectful but not entirely cowed. But then, one never really cowed these women. Not anymore.

"Of course," Venus said in the voice she usually used with the diplomats who didn't want to stick their hand up her skirt, bowing her head in tandem with Jupiter.

Endymion dragged a hand down his face, pulling away the mask he often forget was there. "I'm sorry. This whole… business has me on edge."

"I wonder why," Haruka muttered dryly.

"I don't like waiting," Endymion returned sharply. "If there is something we can do about this, I want to do it. I don't like sitting around watching for a sign of the Phantom. We know who will be responsible for this. We ought to be able to do something about that."

Michiru's eyes darkened behind her contacts. "I have advised that course of action on several occasions."

Serenity's demeanor changed, and she was no longer a friend, but a queen, and any person less than them would have trembled at her quiet rage. "I have told you, Michiru. That is not an option." She turned her gaze to him. It ripped him apart from the inside. "I can't believe you'd suggest such a thing."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Would you rather we try to bring him home?" Jupiter asked sadly. "I can't go through that again. None of us can."

They all hung their heads for a moment. Some years before, they had tried to bring the children home, not wanting to punish the youth for the sins of the previous generation. Unfortunately, several parents had gotten together and strapped homemade bombs to their own children. Mercury had barely managed to pick up on it in time. A few moments earlier, and maybe they could have saved them, maybe they could have done more than throw up shields around the ones who carried the explosives to protect the others. None of them had ever forgiven themselves for those few moments that meant such a sacrifice.

They had not tried to remove anyone from Nemesis since.

"Our hands are tied," Serenity murmured, her voice heavy with grief. "All we can do is try to counteract his influence as subtly as possible. We aren't strong enough to defeat him, but maybe Demando and the others can be made strong enough to resist him." She turned to Michiru and asked. "How are his violin lessons going?"

Michiru smiled ruefully. "Quite well. He has a gift."

"Shit at running," Haruka grumbled. "He always slows down for his brother."

Serenity beamed at them now, her anger vanishing from her features like smoke in the wind. "There's our hope."

-----

The rest of the trip seemed to go by without incident. Serenity continued to gather information on what needed to be done to improve conditions, and she kept being disappointed by the limitations of her power. She took to clinging to Endymion in the dark comfort of the bedroom. She felt so small in his arms that he would sometimes wake up having forgotten how much she had changed over the years, and in the sleepy haze of morning, he almost didn't recognize her.

She closed the visit with an address to the Nemesian people crafted by some of the best speech writers Venus had at her disposal. He heard her muttering in approval to herself at the warmth in the speech, the uplifting tone that was completely devoid of promises. He wondered when they'd all turned into politicians.

At the end of it, the listeners applauded, and Endymion had to turn away from the hope shining in their eyes. They might have hated Serenity, but they could not doubt her sincerity. She may have exiled them, but she had never lied to them. They believed her.

When Serenity stepped away from the podium, she gripped his arm like a lifeline. He felt her fingers tremble despite her vice-like grip. "We have to help them," she whispered fiercely. "We have to. There has to be something we can do."

He nodded, plastering a cool smile on his face. "I'll set up the meetings to start reappropriating funds tomorrow."

Her shoulders stooped for a moment, and he thought she might collapse against him in relief. But it passed quickly, and by the time they were in full view of the public again, she stood erect and proud, moving as though her feet did not quite touch the ground the same way theirs did.

Endymion looked out at the crowd held back by the members of the Crystal Guard that had accompanied them on this journey. They formed an imposing human wall around the perimeter, giving the royal couple and the Sailor Senshi plenty of room as they moved back to the shuttle that would bring them home. He scanned the crowd for a flash of green hair, for a pair of cruel eyes, for black earrings hanging from a pale ear. And he looked for a white prince who did not yet hate him, but who Endymion already loathed.

He didn't know quite what to do when he saw Demando slipping past a guard distracted by an old woman slinging acerbic insults like mud. The boy was small for his age so the guard didn't even feel the wind shift as Demando darted past. Endymion watched those thin boy limbs propelling him ever forward, watched his jaw clench, watched those bright violet eyes light up in a kind of gut-wrenching determination that made him feel ancient and terrified.

Without pausing to think, he pushed Serenity behind him and bellowed, "Jupiter!"

The green-clad soldier reacted to his call in an instant. Her head whipped around, her neck cracking. She saw the threat in an instant and moved to contain. She moved like a lioness, graceful and horrifying, an emerald blur on the shadowed lands. The other Senshi reacted to her movements, aiding without knowing why. Mars appeared at his side in an instant, ofunda drawn and heat radiating off her skin. Venus and Mercury helped to secure the perimeter, attempting to control the citizens shrieking at this display. Venus called in her chain and ice crystallized beneath Mercury's feet. Endymion tried to watch them all as Jupiter closed in, finally focusing on her as she tackled Demando to the ground, winding one arm around his neck in a chokehold.

Serenity let out a furious shriek at his back and shook off their restraining hands. She pushed between Endymion and Mars, the white hot flare from her tiara preventing them from holding her back. She strode forward, each step seeming to make the ground roll beneath them like an earthquake's beginning. With each movement, the crowd grew ever quieter until there was nothing but silence. Everyone's attention turned to the trio at the center of it all: the queen, the solider, and the boy who would become a madman.

"Let him up," Serenity ordered, her voice allowing no room for argument and absent of any echoes of her girlish beginnings. Jupiter hesitated only for the length of time it took her to blink before unwinding her arm and backing away from the prone teenager.

Serenity stood and waited for the boy to rise, but he stayed on the ground, drawing his knees to his chest. She sank to her knees, her gossamer wings fluttering with her graceful movements. She smoothed her hands over his shoulders until they cupped the young face. Her touch made him stronger, gave him back the bravery Jupiter had taken from him. Then he looked at her, those violet eyes crashing into those like the summer sky. Endymion watched every muscle in his face and saw the exact moment when the boy fell in love with his queen.

Mars growled to his right. Endymion didn't think he could put it more succinctly.

"I apologize," Serenity said, her voice soft like a caress but still echoing so that all could hear. "My friends can be somewhat… overzealous when it comes to protecting me." She spared Jupiter a look Endymion knew was meant for them all. "I'm sure you have friends like that."

Swallowing, Demando nodded slowly, awed by this queen he had been brought up to hate, awed by this angel who knelt beside him and spoke without pretense. Through his hatred, Endymion sympathized. He knew that feeling well.

Serenity smiled at him, and Demando looked grateful that he was already on the ground so that he wouldn't topple from that kind radiance. "Perhaps you're like that yourself." She paused. "With a little brother perhaps."

Demando's jaw fell open. "I… yes. I have a brother. Saffir."

"Great," Mars muttered darkly. "Now he's going to think she's psychic."

Endymion shook his head. "No. He thinks she's a goddess."

Mars paused. "If he really believes that, then he's arrogant to love her."

"Aren't we all?"

"Now then," Serenity continued, removing her hands from his skin. He looked pained by the absence. "You obviously wanted to see me very badly to put yourself at risk like that. Would you like something from me?"

Endymion felt his chest tighten in agonizing anger at these words. Jealousy threatened to consume him even as logic told him that an adolescent was no threat to their union. But he couldn't dismiss that supplication, nor could he forget the way Demando's face lit up at her offer. Not for the first time, he wished he could give Haruka and Michiru permission to do what they had been suggesting since they had first agreed to this assignment.

After a moment, Demando ducked his head, remembering himself at last. "No, Your Grace. I don't want anything. I just… I hoped to give you this." He thrust his hand out, and Endymion saw the flash of color he had not noticed before. Thinking it was a jewel, he almost shouted in panic, but then he saw the awkward green curves and the broken stems.

Flowers. He'd wanted to give the queen flowers.

Serenity's smile shifted as she gently took the plant from his small hands. "Thank you. They're lovely."

He licked his lips, those eyes focused on the ground now instead of her. "With the rain and the sun, flowers rarely grow here. When I found those this morning, I wanted to give them to you. For remembrance."

Endymion watched his wife's profile, watched her face begin to collapse in heartbreak. He turned away, unwilling to see this of all things. "Thank you. I will not forget this gift or the giver…"

"Demando."

Finally, this confrontation between future enemies ended. The Crystal Guard escorted the boy back to the crowd while Serenity rose to her feet, refusing Jupiter's aid. Then they all moved back to the shuttles, disappearing into the structures with far more haste than they had planned. No one wanted to stick around for fear that Serenity's soothing would wear off, that outrage would spread through the crowd and cause an incident that would make the children's bombs seem like a minor glitch.

Serenity kept her composure for those few minutes, her face stern but stoic at the same time. It was only when the door closed with a resounding clang that she broke, that frustration leeched over her features like a river overflowing. She curled her hands into fists around the blue flowers Demando had given her and hissed, "I can't believe that just happened."

Endymion stepped forward, taking responsibility for giving the order. "Usako—"

"No," Serenity interrupted harshly. "I know you love me; I know you did it because you were worried. I appreciate that more than I can say, but I cannot believe that you reacted that way to a child."

Mars, who never stepped down from a fight with her queen even while the others would tread lightly, laid her hands on her hips. "We didn't react that way to a child. We reacted to Demando."

"Who is a child!" Serenity snapped.

"He had something in his hand," Jupiter murmured, a small growl in her tone. "I saw that, but I didn't see what it was. I had to do something."

"You could have called out a warning."

Mercury stepped forward, ever the peacemaker. "It all happened very fast, and we've certainly been on edge this trip. When they saw it was Demando—"

"They overreacted," Serenity surmised. "But it's no excuse. You're all supposed to know better than this. He could have been seriously hurt, to say nothing of the public reaction to this." She turned then to Venus, silently voicing the question with a raised eyebrow.

For once, Venus didn't look thrilled to be at the center of attention. "Well, I can't be sure, but…." She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "It won't be good for anyone but you. They'll see you as a saint while we're the real tyrants pulling the strings."

Serenity quivered with barely suppressed fury. "Which is precisely the rhetoric Demando will use when and if he attacks."

"Yes."

Serenity took several deep breaths before saying, "I will forgive you all for this. You're my family, and I love you, but I can't quite look at you without wanting to scream. I'm going to go into my chamber to be alone. Don't follow me." She pressed the flowers into Jupiter's hands. "For remembrance," she said before sweeping out of the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

The five left in the room instantly leaned against something in the room for support.

"I hate it when she gets mad," Venus said. "Thank God it doesn't happen often, but I really, really don't like it when she gets mad."

"At least you didn't really do anything," Jupiter grumbled, glaring at the small bouquet. "You're not the one who put a fourteen-year-old in a choke hold."

Venus gave her a steadying smile. "No. I would have hog-tied him with the chain and not minded the sharp bits."

"I would have just set him on fire," Mars added. "Let's face it: we all would have done the same thing."

Mercury smirked. "Don't lump me in with you people. I would have been perfectly reasonable about it." She paused. "And frozen his feet."

They each allowed themselves a chuckle, grateful for the soundproofing.

"I'm surprised she didn't accuse us of immediately checking the flower for poisons," Endymion said, casting a sly glance towards Mercury.

With a flick of her wrist, Mercury pulled out her mini-computer seemingly from midair and spun it around so that he could see the read out. Presumably, she'd performed it the moment she realized Demando was going to hand it to their queen. "It's clear."

Jupiter looked down at the flowers in her hand. "No reason to let these lovelies die out then," she said, brushing her free hand against the petals. In an instant, the flowers straightened and blossomed beautifully. Endymion swore that they leaned towards her hand when she moved it away, as if they were aching for her touch.

"They really are beautiful," Venus commented, leaning over to get a closer look. "Hard to believe where they come from."

They each nodded gravely, glancing out the window to take one last look at the harsh Nemesian landscape before the shuttles lifted off and left the tenth planet behind for good.

Now if only Demando could leave Serenity behind.

-----

It seemed an eternity before they reached the Earth once again. The moment they stepped off the shuttle, the four Senshi had stumbled off to get what sleep they could, brightening only at the warm good nights Serenity gave them before they left. Then the queen entwined her arm with Endymion's, and the pair strode off to their own quarters. His heart felt lighter knowing that her anger had lifted.

They both instinctively paused at their daughter's crib. She was sleeping soundly – she was a remarkably good sleeper, which Serenity often boasted was one of her contributions to her daughter. She had her tiny body curled around the stuffed rabbit Endymion had gotten for her when she had been just hours hold. Her sugar pink hair stood out against her white sheets like smeared icing off a fallen cupcake. She'd been born with a full head of hair that had nearly given the midwife assisting Mercury a heart attack.

Serenity reached forward and brushed her fingers through that hair. Chibi-Usa didn't even stir. Endymion wondered if now she dreamed that butterflies were dancing in her hair.

"I've missed her," she confided sadly. "It kills me to think that she might feel neglected in a few years time."

Endymion wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. "We can only do what we can, for her and for our people. She'll understand."

"But when?" Serenity asked.

He knew better than to answer her.

"I've been thinking about that ever since she was born," Serenity confessed. "I feel like I've been trying to love her more because of it. The others have to keep reminding me that she won't remember this anyway." She closed her eyes, resting her forehead on the crib. "And then I think of what she might go through, of what will happen if we can't stop the Black Moon. Does every mother look at her child and feel her heart break every second of every day?"

Endymion instinctively pulled his wife into a tight embrace, reveling in the feeling of her skin against his neck. Being on Nemesis had reminded him how easy it would be to lose her. He didn't think he had ever loved Earth more than this moment, knowing it would shield her better than the prisoner's planet.

"She'll be fine," he whispered. "We'll raise her to be strong." He paused. "And a little spoiled."

She couldn't help but chuckle. "I blame that entirely on you. She's already got you wrapped around that little finger."

"What can I say? It's an adorable finger."

She laughed again, quiet silver bells that soothed the ache in his chest. He held her closer, brushing his lips against her forehead.

"It was hard for you, wasn't it?" she asked. "Seeing him as a child."

He nodded. "I know him only as a man, and I think of him that way. I couldn't… I couldn't change my feelings just because he was a boy."

He could tell she wanted to debate this, but she let it pass in her fatigue. "I can't believe that he'll one day become a monster. I looked into his eyes up close when I was with him. I saw some familiar things – his devotion and his fire – but none of the madness. None of the obsession that will destroy him."

"You can thank the Death Phantom for that," Endymion muttered.

"I wanted to bring him with us," she said. "I wanted to gather him in my arms and carry him away from that horrible place so badly. It killed me to let him go."

"I know."

"Is there anything we can do? Anything we can really do to stop the Black Moon?"

Endymion sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. I wish I could say that improving Nemesis and having Haruka and Michiru there will help, but… I don't know. I think all we can do is keep trying."

Serenity nodded and pulled away from him. Then she pulled those same blue flowers from nothing, holding them to her chest. "Did he want me to remember him or Nemesis?"

"I think it began with the planet," Endymion said, "and it ended with him."

"Yes. I think you're right."

Then Serenity laid those flowers by the crib, knowing that Jupiter's magic would keep them blooming for days without water. And Endymion knew that eventually, Serenity would dry them and keep them by her always, to remember the planet, the boy, and the future she hoped to prevent.

They turned and retreated to their bedchamber, where they would make love and hold on to one another throughout the night. They would dream of a little girl with hair like sugar and a little boy pale as the moon. And only their limbs entwined with one another would keep those dreams from becoming nightmares about a woman dressed in black, a grown man with violence in his violet eyes, and the creature who would own them both.

-----Three Years Later-----

Serenity and Endymion quickly hurried through the palace, doing their best to look calm. All things considered, Endymion thought she was doing admirably. He felt certain that every servant and every guard could read the panic on his face as they wound their way through countless halls and corridors so no one could track their movements with any accuracy.

Finally, they slipped into the secret areas of their palace. They immediately increased their pace and wiped their placid looks from their faces. They took the last few turns at a dead run.

In all the years they had been undercover on Nemesis, Haruka and Michiru had never taken advantage of the emergency getaway. They had been involved in riots and Haruka's arm had been irrevocably scarred from a sudden downpour of acid rain the year before, but they had never ventured home. But a few minutes earlier, Mercury had spread the word that the shuttle was entering Earth's airspace and would be arriving shortly.

It seemed to take an eternity before they arrived at the secret landing site. The Sailor Senshi were already assembled, circling around Haruka anxiously, Mercury hurriedly looking over her injured arm. Endymion felt his stomach turn at the mottled flesh, but he forced himself not to show it. After all, she was lucky to have survived.

"What happened?" Serenity called out, rushing forward and throwing her arms around the other woman's neck. "Is Michiru all right?"

"Michiru's fine, considering," Haruka said after a moment's hesitation.

"Considering what?" Mars snarled. Clandestine meetings like these always put her on edge.

Haruka gave her a withering look, but quickly pressed forward. "It's the Death Phantom. He's arrived."

Because Jupiter was closest, she was the one who caught Serenity as she toppled backwards.

"It's starting," Mercury whispered dejectedly, squeezing Haruka's arm. "Have mercy on us all, it's starting."

While the rest of them floundered and dealt with the shock, Venus remained remarkably grounded. There was steel in her gaze when she said, "Demando?"

Haruka sighed, pushing her flawless hand through her light brown hair that now fell to the middle of her back. "Not good… Michiru and I have done what we can, but there's only so much we can do now. We'd hoped to have his loyalty solidified before Wiseman's arrival, but now that he's here, he's exploiting the doubts and magnifying them." She turned her gaze to Endymion. "Michiru found a few pictures of Serenity in his violin case. When he caught her looking at them, he tried to hit her."

"Bet that didn't turn out too well for him," Jupiter remarked dryly.

"Not really, no."

"Is Demando a lost cause then?" Endymion asked, struggling to keep the hope out of his voice.

Haruka shook her head. "Maybe. We'll keep trying, but it looks like we've had far more luck with Saffir than his brother. He's suspicious of the Wiseman."

Serenity moaned miserably. "We tried to change things, but it's like all we've done is set things up to occur just as we knew they would."

Mars moved closer and laid a hand on her elbow. "To be fair, Pluto did warn us that might be the case."

Serenity nodded dejectedly. "You're right. I just didn't want to listen."

Folding her arms across her chest, Venus spoke up again. "If there's little hope in deterring Demando at this point, I doubt it's going to change. You've been reporting more and more unrest over the past few months. Things are coming to a head over there. I'm pulling you out."

Haruka's amiable if worried gaze instantly hardened to stone. "You can't do that."

Venus raised an eyebrow in silent challenge.

"Maybe we can't change Demando's ideology, but we have a chance at the people around him, like Saffir," Haruka elaborated. "If his other advisors don't trust the Wiseman, then maybe they can convince Demando to back down." She paused. "Or maybe they can handle the problem more directly."

Serenity's jawline sharpened. "If it comes to that, you keep him safe and you get him out of there."

Haruka frowned but refrained from comment.

"Why are you talking about it like she's staying?" Venus asked. "She's not staying."

Serenity sighed, waving her hands. "I'm inclined to side with you, Minako, but I also know there's no ordering Haruka around when she sinks her teeth in to something."

Venus turned a light shade of pink as Haruka gave her smug look. "I can certainly keep her from going back by tying her down."

Haruka gnashed her teeth and reached into her pocket. "I wasn't going to tell you this since I know exactly how over you'll react, but if you're actually going to try and kidnap me, I'd just as soon deal with the fallout." She pulled out a portable holographic projector and keyed in a few commands. Then she held out her palm as the image flickered into being.

Endymion didn't recognize the woman in the picture at first. Her eyes were grey now and her hair black as ebony, cropped into a stylish bob and razor straight. It took him a minute to notice the slight upward tilt of her face, the delicate bone structure, the elegant smirk on her painted lips.

Venus realized it at the same moment he did, and more importantly, they all noticed the black tattoo etched on to her skin.

"IDIOT!" she shrieked, her voice echoing off the hangar walls like an oncoming storm. "Both of you! I cannot believe you did that without consulting me."

Haruka shrugged, her calm only feeding the blonde's temper. "We knew you'd say no."

"Of course she'd say no," Mars ground out, offering a united front with her leader. "It's madness. It's suicide."

"I think we know how to not get ourselves killed. We've been doing it for awhile now."

Mercury looked faintly green. "Why did she change her identity? Why not stay the same?"

Haruka sighed. "Demando knows we're not exactly in line with his zealotry. If we suddenly did an about face and pledged ourselves to the rebels, he'd know something was up. So we had to get new identities." She turned to Mercury. "I'm going to need you to make sure they're solid by the way."

"I really don't think that's necessary," Venus snapped, "because I'm going to kill you."

"Minako, I care about these people!" Haruka shouted, her temper snapping like a rubber band stretched too far. "I've lived among them for years. I have friends there. There are people there I want to protect from Demando and the Death Phantom and yes, even from us, and if I have to join them in order to bring them down, then damn it, I'll do it."

Venus held her body taut, unable to keep her limbs from shaking. Her blue eyes crackled, but Endymion knew there was nothing she could say to that. There was nothing any of them could say to that.

"How can we help you?" he asked, defeated.

"Stay out of our way," Haruka said darkly. "It's for the best."

Serenity nodded slowly. "I expect this means we won't receive updates as often."

"I doubt it."

She inclined her head. "Very well. Ami, set Haruka up with the identification she needs. The rest of you return to your duties. It will look odd if we're all absent too long." Then the queen turned and swept out of the room. He saw the water sparkling in her eyes and felt his heart sink as she left him, making her grief his own.

He stood there for a moment, listening to the others move away from the area, their voices hushed and sorrowful. Finally, when he thought he was alone, he let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of their situation push against his spine, threatening to crush him.

"Shouldn't you go after her?"

He spun and saw Venus staring at him, her eyes cold like a knife. He swallowed. "No. She'll want to be alone for awhile." He paused. "Or maybe I need to be alone for awhile."

She looked tempted to comment. He thought he saw her literally bite her tongue.

"You knew that putting Haruka in this kind of situation was a bad idea," he reminded her.

The look she gave him felt like a whip slashing against him. "If you'll recall, I was against sending Haruka and Michiru for that very reason."

"There was no one else."

Her eyes traveled up and down his frame. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I can think of a few alternatives."

She moved away from him, the sound of her retreat echoing in the hangar. He waited until he was sure she was gone, and then he shivered. The room felt impossibly cold.

Endymion turned and left to seek out his wife and offer what comfort he was able now that he felt he could.

-----

Weeks passed without word from either Haruka or Michiru. They could only assume that Haruka had joined the Black Moon rebels and that they were safe in spite of sleeping with vipers. No one was sleeping well, and Endymion had begun to notice the Senshi halting their conversations when he or Serenity entered the room. He tried not to resent it.

So when one day he saw Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars huddled around the fountain in the garden, he did not feel the need to reveal his presence. He simply pulled back into the shadows and listened, praying that none of them sensed his presence.

"You're sure Pluto hasn't said anything?" Mercury sighed, rubbing the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Pluto says things," Mars reminded her bitterly. "The real question is whether she says anything that makes a damn bit of sense."

Jupiter tightened her ponytail. "I'm going to assume that's a no."

"You have no idea."

"She's always been vague about this era on a good day," Mercury admitted. She had taken off her boots and dipped her feet into the fountain water. She swished her ankles back and forth, splashing some water onto the ground. "I'd hoped maybe she was waiting until we were closer to the invasion…. Then again, perhaps now she'll be more inclined to keep to herself."

Jupiter crouched down by a flower bush and began running her fingertips along the leaves, stroking them with loving hands. They stirred beneath her touch, hungry for it. "I guess we can't really expect her to do more than she can. She warned us about consciously meddling with things, and look what happened? We've set ourselves up for exactly what we were trying to prevent."

Mars reached down and plucked a weed, twirling it between her fingers. "I don't think we can blame ourselves for that. From what I've been able to glean from the fire, our path is inevitable."

Mercury's and Jupiter's faces fell. "So there's nothing we can do to stop the war?" the former asked.

Mars scoffed and tossed the weed into the fountain. It erupted into flames just before it slipped beneath the water, no doubt forming a pile of ash at the bottom. "I have no idea. I think the way we've gone up to this point and everything that's happened – I think that's what we couldn't prevent. As for the war itself, I don't know. The smoke's too thick for me to see through."

Jupiter smirked. "Why, Rei, that was almost poetic."

Mars made a face, but refrained from acerbic comment.

"I have faith in Haruka and Michiru," Mercury maintained. "I really do."

"So does Usagi," Jupiter remarked. "I don't think Venus is so optimistic."

"She's hopeful," Mars corrected. "She just knows she has to expect the worst so we can do something about it."

Mercury and Jupiter nodded gravely.

"Every logical impulse in my body speaks against it," Mercury continued. "But in my heart, I have faith."

Jupiter straightened and stretched her back muscles. "If faith were enough to stop this war, Usagi would have brought the Phantom to his knees long ago."

Mars frowned, staring at the spot where she'd tossed the burning weed. "I want things to change, but I can't help but remember Pluto's warnings… and I wonder if maybe some things aren't meant to change."

"Nonsense," Mercury said. "Everything changes."

"Usagi and Mamoru didn't."

The other two paused, momentarily taken aback.

"Usagi's changed," Jupiter maintained. "She's grown up a lot."

Mars sighed and wandered away from the group. "I didn't mean individually."

Sensing the conversation had come to an end and worried he might be detected, Endymion retreated, storing their words in his mind so that he could reflect on them later.

-----

With a groan of frustration, Serenity tossed Haruka and Michiru's sparse report away from her with contempt. "I can't believe it. I just… can't believe it!"

Endymion glanced up from his stack of financial papers, frowning. "Has something gone wrong? Should I get the others?"

"No," Serenity insisted, holding her face in her hands. "It's nothing that can't wait for the meeting tomorrow. I just… Reading these is discouraging."

Pulling his reading glasses away, Endymion rose to his feet and went to sit beside his wife on the couch. She leaned into him in an instant, molding her body to his familiar angles. "Tell me."

Exhaling deeply, she began.

"Wiseman has somehow managed to convince those who have taken the mark – which is most of the population by the way – that they did not come by it willingly. They think we… branded them. Just like we're—" she cut off sharply, unable to make the comparison, however false.

"Nazis," Endymion surmised.

Serenity nodded and fought the urge to be ill. "Those who have not taken the mark have apparently been marked as traitors to the Black Moon. Apparently, they've taken to… pushing them out of the shelters when the rains come."

Now Endymion had to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat. "My God."

"Haruka and Michiru have already implemented a way to get them out using the emergency escape route," Serenity continued. "It risks their exposure, but I don't see what else we can do. We can't leave those people there. Some have already died or been maimed. I can't let them stay there knowing what could happen to them."

"What will you do with them?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping one of the others will know," Serenity confessed.

Endymion shook his head. "Shouldn't the government we put in place be monitoring this?"

"Several members of that government have turned zealots themselves," Serenity informed him, slapping her hand against the papers. "They resent the fact that they were assigned there in the first place, and since we neglected to reassign them—"

"No one else would go!" Endymion snapped. "No one would volunteer even with the increase in pay."

"I know," Serenity assured him, patting his leg. "And those who aren't willing to turn on us so overtly have received a payoff. Or at least that's what Michiru thinks. Frankly, I'm inclined to agree if they're turning a blind eye to slaughter."

Endymion rubbed the bridge of his nose vigorously, sensing an oncoming migraine. "This is horrible."

"It's going to get worse," she murmured. "He's old enough to fight us now, so that means it's going to get worse."

He embraced her fiercely, drawing her ever closer and holding on tightly enough to bruise. She didn't shrink away from him, didn't even wince at his force. Instead she held on with equal strength, leaving purple finger marks in her wake.

They didn't let go for a long time, rocked by what they knew now and what they guessed was to come.

-----

It was only days later that the first attack came.

The battle was not the full scale attack that would come in the years ahead. The crystal defended Crystal Tokyo well, and only small squadrons could hope to penetrate its barriers, and only at the cost of many droids in order for them to get clear. This was small, concentrated, and happened only so that the White Moon knew that they had problems of a grave nature to face. The battle was just a taste of what was to come, a skirmish that would mark the beginning of a war that would span the boundaries of time.

A group of only ten droids attacked a shopping center at peak hours. They did little more than harass customers – if one's definition of harass extended to shooting lasers over their heads. There no casualties. If the Black Moon truly wanted to rule, they knew they would have to contain the number of civilian deaths. They had to display their power but not use it in tyranny. They had to be feared and respected if not loved.

The Sailor Senshi had arrived shortly afterwards, and with their appearance, came the Akayashi sisters.

They were young, younger than they remembered and too young to be fighting in such a war. At a guess, the youngest, Cooan, was around fourteen, the same age as they had been when they had gone against Beryl all those years before. They didn't miss the irony of the situation and ventured a guess that the young girls had been sent on purpose to make them less willing to kill.

It had worked.

All four of Serenity's guardians had held back when fighting against these children. They sought to capture, not kill, but all four of the sisters were too slippery for such maneuvers. When Venus did manage to ensnare one in her chain or Jupiter caught one in a choke hold, the other three attacked with vicious determination. No matter how they bickered with each other – and they had bickered even in battle – they always united against a common enemy.

When the droids were dispatched, the sisters vanished, and the Senshi came home, nursing a number of wounds and very bruised egos. There had been no fatalities and minor injuries. Although they had not won in the traditional sense of the world, they were forced to consider it a victory.

It was the first in a long line of such victories.

-----

Endymion had just experienced the distinct displeasure of running into Chibi-Usa's nanny while she was in a snit for the very first time. He had always dismissed Chibi-Usa's pouting and tantrums about her as folly, but after being on the receiving end of one of her glares, he could sympathize.

Although why the woman felt the need to glower at him when she was the one who had lost his daughter was beyond him.

He would have been worried if he hadn't guessed where she must have gone. The nanny had claimed she had searched every area of the palace, but Endymion knew there were several she didn't have access to. He doubted Chibi-Usa would venture into most of them, but he knew of one she was destined to visit, and at four-years-old, he thought she was right on schedule.

He had left the blustering woman to her own devices while he had leisurely gone in search for his daughter. It did not take him very long at all to reach the ornate door nestled at the end of a hall many servants instinctively avoided. He couldn't be sure if they simply wanted to resist the temptation of going through the forbidden doorway or if something about it unsettled them. Either way, he was going to have to mention something about the layer of dust covering the hall.

He paused at the door, running his fingers against the phases of the moon carved into the doorway. The circles were so perfect that he doubted they had been made by a human hand. He wondered if they had been created at all or if they had simply always been there, just like the woman who waited behind the door.

Before he became lost in his own musings, Endymion raised his hand and gently pushed the door open. A moment later, he stepped into a vast area that existed out of space and time. It was boundless and without a distinguishing mark. The world seemed grey and shadowed here. It remained menacing although he knew better than to be afraid. Still, it would have been foolish not to be the least bit wary. This was the stomping ground of gods.

A second later, a sugar pink blur filled his vision. He beamed down at his daughter and said, "Someone owes their nanny a very good apology."

Ignoring the half-hearted admonishment, Chibi-Usa let out a bright squeal and bounded forward like her namesake. She leapt into his arms, and he caught her easily. She barely weighed anything despite her tendency to overindulge in sweets. He held her tightly, smiling as she nestled against his chest.

"Daddy, I never knew this door was here!" she chattered happily. "Did you know this door was here? And did you know about Puu? She's my new friend." Chibi-Usa twisted around, and Endymion had to struggle to set her down without dropping her. "Puu! Puu, come out! I want you to meet my daddy!"

Like a mirage stepping out of the desert, she appeared. She was taller than most women, but he knew instinctively that she would have been imposing at Venus's height. Her tanned skin stood out dark against the white mist, setting off her dark costume. She looked as though she had been born from shadow and nightshade. Her eyes and lips were the color of merlot while hair like deep emeralds cascaded down her back. He would have known her anywhere, could have never forgotten her, but still he felt the need to catalogue these features. He had not seen her since the formation of his court. Mars acted as their liaison.

"Pluto," Endymion said politely.

She inclined her head respectfully, her elegant hands wound around her staff. "King."

Chibi-Usa wrinkled her nose in distaste. "That's not his name."

Pluto smiled at her, and for a moment, Endymion could forget how easy it would be for her to destroy them all. "It's his title, Small Lady."

"Not my name either," she grumbled, but neither of them missed the slight blush of pleasure that bloomed on her apple cheeks.

"Chibi-Usa," Endymion began, lifting his gaze to the ageless woman some distance away, "I think you'd better go find your nanny. She's very worried about you."

Chibi-Usa pouted. "She'll get snarly."

"You did run off without telling her."

"Because she was growly!"

Endymion decided it was best not to ask what the difference between snarly and growly was. He swiped a hand at one of her pigtails. "Go. You can come back tomorrow, if you tell us where you're going."

Chibi-Usa's frown vanished as though she had never done anything but smile. "Do you mean it, Papa?"

"Have I ever lied?"

Shrieking with delight, Chibi-Usa threw her arms around his knees and squeezed. She ran from them an instant later, calling out a bright good-bye to her new friend, using the nickname Endymion had nearly forgotten about.

The moment the child closed the door behind her, Pluto's stoic expression slipped into something with sharper edges. "You have lied to her, Endymion."

He cringed inwardly, either at the truth of it or at the use of the name he rarely heard outside of public circles. "Only for her own good."

"Many have said that," Pluto murmured, striding through the swirling fog. "Many have been mistaken."

Endymion had no desire to engage in the wordplay Pluto made her bread and butter by. "You know why I've stayed."

She nodded coolly. "And you know it's futile."

He sighed. "Pluto—"

"No," she interrupted harshly, crimson eyes flashing like a splinter of glass floating in the wine. "You've grown too used to deference, Endymion. You're too used to getting your way, so you push me. But you forget how long I have done this. I am the mountain; you are the wind that will blow until it dies."

Endymion straightened, taken aback by her words.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I… no one's talked to me like that for a long time."

Pluto snorted. "How have you managed to escape Mars's tongue lashings for so long?"

He laughed dryly, shaking his head. "No, that's different. The other Senshi, they don't hold back when they're annoyed, but… they rarely ever think before they speak. It cuts, make no mistake, but it's different with you."

"I am different from them."

"Yes," he muttered. "I suppose you are."

She paused, pushing a lock of hunter green hair behind her delicate ear. "Will you cease in pestering me about the future now?"

"I hadn't even started," he reminded her. "But yes. I won't ask anyway. There's not much I can do about Mars."

"That's unfortunate for us all," Pluto muttered, looking tempted to roll her eyes.

Endymion looked at her softly, exposing his underbelly. "We're afraid for the future. I'm afraid for my daughter. You can hardly blame us."

"That makes it worse," she informed him plainly. "If I could blame you, I wouldn't feel guilty about it."

His throat felt very dry all of a sudden. He swallowed. "I know it's your job."

"It's my life."

He nodded slowly. "Of course."

He turned to leave, his pale cape billowing out behind him.

"Endymion."

He almost didn't turn around.

"If you wanted to come by yourself," Pluto said with uncharacteristic caution. "I wouldn't mind."

He smiled widely. "I'd like that."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Then do as you please."

He left her then, pleased by the invitation, but all the more vexed by his ignorance. Even a visit to the Guardian of Time would not shed light on the impending disasters. Even she could not tell him if Haruka or Michiru were alive; even she could not tell him if Demando's obsession with his wife wavered. She might have known, or she might have been just as unsure as he.

But she might have known, and although he was smiling in her presence, it would tear him up inside.

-----Four Years Later-----

The Sailor Senshi, Serenity, and Endymion gathered in the Council Room to discuss the last in a surprisingly long list of reports that Haruka and Michiru had managed to send over the past few months. Endymion not only found it odd that they had managed to smuggle that many out, but that they had managed to compile that many when in reality, there wasn't much happening. Meanwhile, the Senshi were being run ragged by a string of pointless battles between them and the Akayashi sisters. Endymion didn't know if it was youth or sheer insolence that gave them their energy, but between trying (and failing) to capture the four girls and fending off attacks from droids who grew increasingly more competent, none of the Sailor Senshi were at their peak.

"They're stuck," Venus surmised unhappily.

"Essentially, yes," Serenity agreed. "We ought to have anticipated this possibility."

Mars snorted. "We were too busy putting together emergency extraction scenarios."

"But they know the attack is coming," Mercury interrupted tersely. Endymion noticed her eyes looked clouded over, as if she wasn't truly there. He wondered how many tactical operations she was forming in her head while they went back and forth on this.

"They haven't been explicitly told of course," Endymion answered, steepling his fingers. "But they know enough about war to recognize the signs. Droid production is up, more meetings between Demando and the Wiseman are happening. It can't be anything else."

"And they've stepped up… executions," Serenity murmured sadly. "They broke every bone in a woman's body, one by one, beginning with her fingers." She paused. "At least that's how they started."

Jupiter hung her head. "How can we let this go on?"

Venus sighed. "We've run the scenarios time and again, Mako. We can't risk attacking them on their home ground. Haruka and Michiru only know so much about their own defenses, and Nemesis is too unpredictable. They could just hole up their citadel and wait for the rain to kill us."

"So we just sit here and let people die?" Jupiter demanded.

"Unless you can control the weather, which you can't."

Serenity's eyes turned a frosty blue. "I can."

"And then what power do you have left for defense?" Mars asked. "We can't have our greatest asset busy acting like a glorified umbrella."

Serenity arched her back like a cornered cat. "Don't talk about me like a commodity!"

"That's my job," Mars reminded her harshly. "The one you gave me."

"Stop it!" Mercury hissed, becoming well and truly present for the first time in a few minutes. "We won't accomplish anything by squabbling with each other."

Serenity and Mars both remained tense for another minute or so before mutually agreeing to relax. The queen let out a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I'm worried about them, but there's no sense in me taking it out on you."

Mars nodded. "I know."

"We should pull them out," Jupiter voiced.

Venus laughed mirthlessly. "I wish I knew how many times we'd said that over the years."

"They won't come," Mercury recalled sadly. "They've been in more and more danger with each passing day, but no matter what we say, they won't come home."

Jupiter fidgeted. "We could do a bang and burn."

"What's the difference between that and staging an attack on Nemesis?" Endymion asked.

"None whatsoever," Venus growled in frustration. "If we lifted them out like that, we'd be lucky to make it out in one piece without Haruka and Michiru in tow."

Mars shook her head. "We'd have to attack them just to get them to come with us."

Serenity groaned, pillowing her head in arms. "Don't. Please, don't."

They Senshi stared at her crumpled form for a moment, her grief unmistakable. Endymion waved them off, knowing it was now up to him to do something for her.

Mercury was the first to get to her feet. "Venus, I think we ought to discuss some new tactical maneuvers I want to employ." Then she gently took the reluctant blonde by the elbow and led her away. Mercury threw an impatient look over her shoulder.

Jupiter's shoulders sagged in defeat but stood anyway. "I should run some more training exercises with the guards. Last thing we need is one of the rebels wandering around the halls because they can't protect their left side."

The three women stared down at Mars, who stubbornly remained seated. It seemed an eternity before she threw her hands up and started muttering about target practice and the army under her command. Endymion could only hope that she did not intend to use them for target practice.

When the four were gone, Endymion pulled his chair closer to his wife. "Is this all about Haruka and Michiru?"

Serenity shook her head without lifting it. "There's something I didn't tell them."

He paused. "There's something above their security clearance?"

"It's got nothing to do with that," she said, straightening. "It's about Rubeus."

Endymion cringed. His memories of fighting against Rubeus in the 20th century were not clear and often overshadowed by his angst at being apart from Usagi. However, there had always been something unsettling in his eyes and the way he carried himself. It wasn't simple arrogance, nor was it hatred for the White Moon. The only way he could think of to describe it was a love for violence. He'd sometimes wondered if the man got off on the scent of blood.

"What about him?"

Serenity called in a disturbingly thick stack of papers and pushed them over to him. "This is only what they've chosen to tell me. I can tell by their tone that there's more, much more, that they don't want me to know."

Endymion's eyes skimmed over the first page, and he felt ill. Despite the nausea, he pressed forward, scanning over every line in the hopes of absorbing all the atrocities quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. It seemed like there was blood in the ink. The paper almost smelled of death. He couldn't shake that feeling even as he told himself that the pages had been printed here, that they had never been near the planet Nemesis or Rubeus's cruel hands. He read of the senseless killings, the torture, the maiming. He scanned a list of names that if laid end-to-end would be at least as long as his arm. They were all women. They were all suicides. He didn't have to see the word to know what had happened so that they made that choice.

He turned the stack of pages over and felt grateful for the blankness of the opposite side, as if that somehow erased the words he had just read. He glanced over at Serenity and saw her hands folded together as if in desperate prayer.

"That man is going to go after my daughter," she whispered fiercely. "That man."

Endymion fought back the bile in his throat. "Oh, God."

"I gave Haruka and Michiru the kill order a few months ago."

Endymion blinked, staring at her in shock. "But you—"

"I believe in Saffir's goodness," Serenity continued. "I pity Esmeraude's hopeless attraction. I want to save Demando from himself and from the Wiseman. But Rubeus is not a man and he is not a monster. He is something else, something that I can't heal." She swallowed. "And I won't have him anywhere near my daughter."

He reached over and grasped her hand. "Why haven't they done it yet?"

"They haven't been able to get to him," Serenity said, clutching back. "But they're on the lookout. They'll find a way. They'll find a way to do it without getting caught. I know they will."

Endymion didn't say anything. He just kept holding on.

-----

After receiving word from her tutors, Endymion once again made the long trek down the silver doorway he had become increasingly familiar with over the past four years. It was so used to his presence now that it opened of its own accord once his shadow grazed the metal. He didn't even have to slow his pace before crossing the threshold.

He pushed through the wall of mist and fog, and once he could see again, he found her. She was sitting at a table with the Time Guardian, munching on a cookie and ignoring the tea that had been offered with it. When she saw him, she frowned, her bright red eyes narrowing in distaste.

"I know it's time for grammar lessons. I don't care. I hate grammar."

He smiled indulgently. "I know, Chibi-Usa, but that doesn't mean you can skip your lesson."

She pouted at him, a perfect imitation of her mother. "I don't see why I have to learn it anyway. Everyone knows what I mean. Why do I have to say it correctly?"

Endymion's smile widened, wondering just how much Mercury would sputter in response to this point. "Chibi-Usa…"

She deflated. "Fine. I'll go." She paused, raising her eyebrows hopefully. "In five minutes?"

He thought back to seven years before when Serenity had accused him of spoiling their daughter. He hadn't denied it then. He decided as long as it was common knowledge, he might as well live up to it. "Very well."

"Tea, Endymion?" Pluto asked, waving her hand. The mist swirled around an empty spot on the table, and when it cleared, a cup of piping hot tea appeared. He didn't doubt that it had the perfect amounts of lemon and honey for it to be to his liking.

"Don't mind if I do," he answered, sitting down in his chair.

"Small Lady was just about to tell me about the project she was assigned before she slipped out of her studies," Pluto said with just a hint of gentle reprimand.

Chibi-Usa stuck her tongue out briefly before turning to her father, ruby-red eyes bright with excitement. "I actually don't mind this one, Papa. Ms. Hatahori said she wants me to put together a family tree. I know all about Ikuko-mama, Kenji-papa, and Uncle Shingo of course – and then there's Queen Serenity, but Ms. Hatahori said I didn't have to include her – but I have to ask you about your mommy and daddy."

Endymion paused in mid-sip, furrowing his brow. He recognized this assignment for what it was. Hatahori had no interest in having Chibi-Usa do a creative project; she wanted to find out about the progeny behind the royal family. Specifically his progeny. It had always been a veiled history for the public. What knowledge he did have of his parents was his. He had no interest in sharing it with the world.

He glanced up at Pluto, sensing that she might understand this reluctance as well as the inappropriate nature of Hatahori's request. He was surprised to find her lips purse and her eyes trained to her own tea cup.

"Papa?"

Endymion forced a smile and turned to his daughter. "I'll have to give it some thought, munchkin. In the meantime, I believe your five minutes are up."

Chibi-Usa opened her mouth to protest, but a stern look from her father silenced it before she began. She groaned in exasperation but got up obediently, kissing both Endymion and Pluto on the cheek. Then she flounced off, muttering once again about the pointlessness nature of the upcoming lesson.

Endymion took a long sip from his rapidly cooling tea. "Just once I wish she'd come to see you when she didn't have something else to do. I don't appreciate being scolded by the hired help."

Pluto smiled. "But what fun would it be if there were not something forbidden about seeing me?"

"She's coming to the Fourth Dimension. Isn't that enough?"

"You can hardly expect a seven-year-old to understand the ins and outs of time travel."

He paused. "But you have told her some things. Haven't you?"

She paused, centering her tea cup in the saucer. "Enough."

"It's coming soon," he muttered gravely.

Pluto gave him a grimly amused look. "I know, Endymion."

"Of course you do," he sighed, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"But I do not know the particulars, so please, don't ask."

"I know better at this point," Endymion admitted. He paused, smirking. "Though if Mars or Venus knew how often I came here, I think they'd insist I use thumbscrews to get it out of you."

Pluto nodded. "Mars has threatened as much when she comes by. She was an interesting choice for a liaison."

"I think Venus hoped you could be strong-armed," Endymion guessed. He drained his tea and straightened. "Much as I'd like to stay and talk, I have quite a lot to attend to. None of it good."

Pluto said nothing, her eyes drifting from his eyes to the communicator he wore on his wrist. A moment later, it beeped. The pitch of the tone let him know this was intended for all the Senshi and both the royal company. The blue light let him know who sent it.

Ignoring Pluto for the time being, Endymion brought the comm link to his wrist and pushed the flashing blue button. A moment later, a projection of Mercury appeared, hovering over his hand. She was crying.

"Ami? What's wrong?" Jupiter asked over the line.

"You all need to come to the communications room," Mercury answered softly. "Now."

A second later, the image disappeared and the silence in the fourth dimension ruled like a tyrant.

Pale and shaking, Endymion lowered his arm, staring at Pluto's dark eyes. "I thought you said you didn't know the particulars."

Her face, lovely and vexing, remained as impassive as ever and impossible to read. She took one last sip of her tea. Her hands trembled. Then with a sharp wave of her hand, the fog rolled in again, taking the table and everything else back to where it had come from. She stood and the chair was swallowed as well.

"I do not know all of the particulars."

Endymion stared for only a moment. Then he turned on his heel and ran away from the gates and their keeper, racing towards Mercury and whatever truth she would tell them.

-----

When Endymion reached the communications room, he nearly choked on the overwhelming grief filling the room. Technicians were sprawled on the floor as if struck down physically, holding each other and sobbing quietly. Venus and Serenity were crouched near them, trying to coax and soothe those who were most hysterical. At the center of it all stood Mercury, the one who had grown strong since her first days as a Senshi. He saw her stooped over, clinging to Jupiter like the green soldier was all that kept her up right, saw her gasping for breath as tears streamed down her face. In that moment, he wondered what had happened and if it had broken her back to what she had once been.

"What happened?" he demanded sharply, striding past the civilians briskly, ignoring their half-hearted attempts at bowing.

Jupiter looked at him with naked relief. "Thank God you're here. She won't tell us. She said she'd only show it once more."

Mercury shook her head, whimpering. "I wish I'd never seen it. I wish it had never come to me."

Mars stepped forward, looking ready to shake the woman into cooperating. But she stopped and collected herself, taking a long breath to settle her frazzled nerves. Then she finished crossing to Mercury. She shouldered some of the weight for Jupiter and with soft, amethyst eyes, said, "You don't have to do it alone."

It seemed to take a lot out of Mercury not to embrace the fire soldier right then and there. With Jupiter and Mars's help, Mercury hobbled over to the control panel. In the same moment, both Venus and Serenity rose, each of them moving to flank him. They each turned their eyes to the viewing screen, but out of their peripheral vision, they saw every one of the technicians shield their eyes. They weren't strong enough to move, but they also were not strong enough to watch again.

With trembling hands, Mercury pushed the button.

In an instant, the static vanished and Rubeus's eyes filled the screen. Endymion reached for his wife at the same moment she reached for him. He suddenly thought he knew what this message might be. He had never been a religious man, but he was overwhelmed now by the urge to pray, though he wouldn't have known what to ask for.

"Greetings, White Moon," Rubeus began, his voice souring the taste in the air. "I hope all is well with you there. Pleasant weather?" He smiled, his teeth glinting like a knife. "Pleasantries aside, I decided to create this little video postcard to let you know what we're up to. I think you'll find it very interesting."

He stepped aside, and Serenity shrieked. For behind him, clear as anything, were Haruka and Michiru. Or at least what was left of them. The picture was terrifyingly exact and showed every cut and bruise, every twisted limb, every bit of mutilated flesh. Endymion recognized Haruka's arm damaged by the rain of Nemesis. It was resting against her ankle as if carelessly tossed aside.

"Oh, God," Mars breathed, backing away from the screen. "They're breathing. I can see them breathing."

Jupiter retched and fought to swallow it down.

"I trust you know these two lovely ladies," Rubeus mused, striding back into view. Now they could see the blood that coated his skin from wrist to elbow, the red stains on his trademark camouflage. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "I certainly know them very well."

Serenity covered her mouth with her hand, choking.

"Monster," Venus hissed with venom.

"I didn't always, though," Rubeus continue. "You see, once I thought these little darlings were just two of many revolutionaries fighting for the greater good. Not terribly important, not even very bright, but nice little worker bees that would eventually help us bring you to your knees." He paused, sighing blissfully. "So imagine my surprise when they tried to kill me three days ago."

Endymion curled his fists, his mind swimming. Three days. He had been doing this for three days, and they'd survived.

He'd never felt more sorry for anyone in his life.

"For the first day, they wouldn't tell me anything," he informed them. "Of course I assumed they were trying to undermine us, but I had to find out how widespread their taint was. But they were good little soldiers. Wouldn't even give me their name, rank, and serial numbers. On the second day, they were more pliable." He gestured at Haruka's disfigured form. "This one in particular got very chatty when I had some fun with her friend over there."

Letting Mercury go, Jupiter raised both of her fists and crashed them into the control panel. The picture flickered remained. Mercury sank to her knees, resting her head on Jupiter's thigh.

"And then on the third day, they told me something very interesting indeed. I don't think they meant to, you understand, but at some point, people tend to get delirious with pain." He paused, his eyes lighting up in malicious glee. "They told me that you sent them. You Senshi and your king and queen. And they said that the assassination plot came from the very top." He shook his head, chuckling. "To think. You've had spies here for years, and we never knew. Such good little spies. They even accepted your brand." He reached down and pulled Michiru's head up by her hair, revealing that a chunk of her forehead had been carved away. She let out a moan that sounded scarcely human. "You may have meant these to humiliate us, but we wear them now as a mark of pride."

Mars howled in frustration. "We didn't put them there, you son of a bitch! It wasn't us!"

"I can't even begin to think of how long they've been here," Rubeus continued, dropping Michiru. Her head bobbed like a ragdoll. "How many other identities? How many things did they hear? How much do you know? And think of how much more they could have learned! We probably would never have known who they were if you'd just let me be."

He stopped, the amusement suddenly gone, and all that remained was murderous rage. "But you didn't, did you?"

He lifted both arms then and what seemed like thousands of purple, glowing wires grew from his hands. Then, sweeping his hands about like he conducted an orchestra, he pushed them through the hair.

And they all watched as they cut through what remained of Haruka and Michiru.

Serenity threw herself into his chest, keening like a ghost in search of her lover. Endymion looked at the others, watching them watch the screen, unwilling to see the slaughter himself. It did not take very long for Jupiter to slide down next to Mercury, for her to take the smaller woman in her arms and hold her like that embrace would anchor her to sanity. Soon afterwards, Mars turned her back on the display, her spine rigid and her body shaking with barely suppressed rage. Only Venus kept watching, only Venus refused to turn away. She sensed his eyes, and all she said was, "They deserve a witness."

Finally, the sounds of butchering flesh stopped. Haruka and Michiru had never screamed, had never audibly showed their pain. They hadn't wanted their friends to know the precise moment they had died. With the killing done with, Endymion forced himself to look back. He saw that they had reached out for each other, grasping one another by the hand in their last moments, just as they had always done.

Rubeus crushed their hands beneath his foot. That made Venus turn away.

"You have made a very large mistake, White Moon," Rubeus told them plainly. "I hope you're ready. Because we're coming."

With that, the screen faded to black and it was done.

The silence in the room held for an interminably long time. For a small portion of eternity, they each mourned Haruka and Michiru in silence. They had always known that sacrifices had to be made, even if it meant themselves. They grieved for that knowledge and for their loss.

Finally, Serenity let out another cry that cut him to the bone. "What have I done?"

Venus blinked, eyes wide. "You gave the order." It was not a question.

She nodded miserably. "They're better than him. I know they are. This shouldn't have happened."

Venus's joints locked up, and she opened and closed her mouth three times. "And you shouldn't have made that kind of decision without us."

Serenity sobbed, clinging to Endymion, her nails scratching at his neck.

"What do we do now?" Jupiter asked, her voice hollow. "What do we do?"

Before anyone could answer, the palace shook as if the Earth churned beneath its foundations. Then an alarm began to wail and red lights flashed. Shaking off her anguish, Mercury leapt to her feet and manned the control panel, activating the multiple cameras placed around the grounds. The screen filled with multiple images, but they all seemed like copies of one another. Droids on the ground. Ships in the air. Black lightning in the sky.

"We get revenge," Mars said, turning on her heel. She raised her communicator to her mouth and began barking orders. Jupiter was not far behind her, doing the same.

Serenity pushed him away, panicked. "Chibi-Usa! Where is she?"

Endymion nearly lost his balance although he didn't move. It was happening. It was really happening. "She was with Pluto. I sent her back to her tutor."

"I'll find her," Venus promised hastily, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Collect yourself and be ready. We don't know what's changed," she warned before fleeing the room.

Serenity paused, floundering for a moment. Then her posture changed and her eyes became more focused. Without a word to either him or Mercury, she went after Venus, the sound of her exit echoing in the halls.

"Usako!" he shouted, starting to run after her, but Mercury grabbed his elbow. He turned and when he saw the look on her face, he wondered how he had ever thought that she might be broken.

"I know you want to help her, but there's no time," Mercury said in a tone that managed to be both gentle and brusque. "I've been working on some new weapons, but I haven't had the chance to train the other technicians. I'm the only one who knows how they work. But someone needs to stay here and man the communications systems. My people can't do it. You know how, so you have to."

He started to protest, but then he looked at the communications staff. The execution of Haruka and Michiru, who they had known at least distantly, had rocked them, and now the battle was pushing them over the edge. Those who hadn't fled were completely crazed. He watched as one staffer's pants darkened as he urinated himself.

Endymion swore but nodded. "Go. I'll handle this. Go."

Mercury looked at him grateful and then jogged away, a blue streak against the white.

Frustrated but hopeless to change the situation, Endymion turned back to the communication panel. He laid his hands on the buttons and crystals, running his hands over them to manipulate the cameras and open up communication links, giving and receiving orders as if he did this every other day. And from his post in that room, he saw everything.

-----

Venus felt like a salmon swimming upstream as she pushed back the tide of frantic palace workers fleeing for the safety zones. Venus wished that she could go back in time now and redesign the layout of the palace so that they were placed differently. They had known this day was coming; that was why they had built the things to begin with. But she ought of have realized the inevitability that at least one of them would have to run in this direction if only to see how drastically things changed.

She leapt and twisted, pushed and maneuvered, fighting her way through the masses. Finally, she reached the area of the palace where all their living quarters were housed. Those corridors remained blissfully empty. She pushed herself to her limits, running all out to reach the King and Queen's chambers. It was placed at the very back of the palace, which, while tactically sound, now seemed like yet another in a string of bad decisions.

"Please still be there, little one," Venus whispered fervently. "Please let that have changed."

She rounded the corner and kicked the doors of their chambers in. She knew the room was empty before she even took a good look around. She swallowed her curse and then stalked in further, walking directly to the other thing she sought. When she found it, she did not know whether to be disappointed or elated.

The Ginzuishou, the crystal that Chibi-Usa was meant to take from them, had vanished. That meant all of their defenses were down, so the alarm hadn't been about the attack after all. Somehow, they'd happened simultaneously.

She wondered just how closely the Wiseman was watching.

Venus took a deep breath, trying to regulate her pounding heart. "We changed nothing," she said wretchedly. "Haruka and Michiru died, and nothing changed." Her shoulders hunched and her eyes began to burn. "And I sent them there."

She felt as though she might be swallowed by her grief when the sound of shattering glass broke her concentration. She spun, shocked to see an orange and yellow droid glaring at her from the broken window. Part of her wanted to ask it how it had gotten past the shield. Another part wanted to simply blow it to smithereens and return to other matters.

But the third part, and the strongest part, could not stop thinking of the friends she had lost. And that part wanted to do nothing but rip that thing limb from limb.

She let out a war cry that hadn't been used for two thousand years and rushed the droid. She leapt at it, caught it around the metal neck, and pushed, sending them both into the raging battle below.

-----

After she left the communication center, Mercury teleported to the palace roof where she had set up a number of her latest weapons innovations. It was hardly her preferred scientific endeavor, but she understood the necessity of their predicament. And like anything she set her mind to, she had succeeded with ease.

A number of soldiers who doubled as technological experts were already manning a number of rail guns, cannons, and a variety of other weapons that she had managed to explain to them. The energy ray on the other hand, one of her greatest advancements, stood untouched, the set up so foreign and so exact that no one had attempted to figure it out on their own.

She strode forward, the wind from the aircraft surging into battle whipping her cropped hair around her ears. She tapped the soldier she knew was the quickest study, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to stay for very long. "I need you to watch how I do this so you can take over!" she shouted into his ear, her voice barely carrying above the din.

He nodded sharply and ordered one of his subordinates to take over at his post. Then he followed her to the energy gun, watching as she swung herself into the set attached to the device. Calling it an energy "gun" was a bit of a misnomer; because it was a prototype, the weapon was bigger than most of the canons they had. Its design and make-up were crude and hurried. Mercury had been consumed by a sense of growing dread in her work, and although Mars's fire readings were inconclusive and Pluto's warnings were increasingly vague, she had sensed that she was running out of time. As a result, she'd created a deadly but incredibly finicky weapon. One wrong move was liable to blow them all skyward. A few more days and she would have been able to work the kinks out of it.

But they didn't have a few more days.

"Watch what I do," she instructed. "Watch and do it exactly as I do it or it won't work."

"You mean do it right, or it'll kill me," he deadpanned.

She redirected her concentration to the task at hand; it was better not to focus on the death of individuals at the moment. "Watch," she said again.

She reached forward to the small control panel at her right. She pulled the lever to start and then chose the appropriate setting. Then it came time to flip a few more switches and turn a few more dials. Finally, the gun emitted a loud whine to signal it was charging. She reached down and turned a crank that raised them up, and then grasped two handles on either side of the barrel to aim the gun upwards. She found a section of sky almost completely devoid of their own aerial combatants, and she raised her wrist to her lips.

"Aerial sector five, get clear. I repeat. Aerial sector five, get clear. I'm coming your way."

"Roger that," the pilots chorused almost in the same breath. Then they all turned or dived to evacuate, leaving the hovering jeweled spacecraft wide open for her attack.

"Firing!" she shouted, flipping the final switch. A thick beam of white-blue light shot out of the cannon, barreling directly into the craft on the far left. It froze instantly and plummeted to the ground. Before the others could retreat to safety, Mercury swung it around, taking out as many of the craft as she could. Their mechanisms iced over, and useless, they too fell, jetting towards the Earth, landing directly in an area crawling with nothing but droids, crushing them beneath their weight and impaling them on their crystallized green spikes.

The soldiers around her let out a triumphant whoop. "That thing can really do some damage," her preferred soldier marveled, his eyes glazed over in desire.

Despite its uses, Mercury couldn't help but feel pride in her work. "Let's try some fire power." She repeated the process, this time changing only the setting for the kind of energy it would give out. Then she redirected her aim to the ground and the advancing second wave of droids. Her canon turned them into ash.

The celebration that followed that hit was cut short by a black laser impacting the shield above their heads. Unprepared, Mercury tumbled out of her seat, and quick reflexes kept her from falling. She looked up at the now glowing forcefield above their heads.

"It will hold," Mercury assured everyone. "I designed it for that. It will hold."

The others didn't look convinced.

Mercury turned to go back to the fight when she heard Serenity's voice crying out above the cacophony of war. She pulled out her mini-computer and quickly keyed in the commands to gain access to the palace's security videos, selecting the one she wanted in an instant. She saw Serenity stumbling out of the palace, struggling to keep her balance. Her cry was intelligible above the noise, but Mercury read her lips and recognized the princess's name.

She tucked the computer away solemnly and turned to face the soldier. She blinked in surprise to find he was already in position, keying in the commands in the correct order. She smiled with satisfaction.

He tipped an imaginary hat at her. "Go to it."

"Thank you," she said, reaching forward and clasping his arm. "Umino."

He winked behind his glasses and then returned to the fight. Mercury stayed behind for only a moment longer before turning and racing to the palace steps. She had always known what was coming, and now that she'd seen her queen, she knew she didn't have any time to waste.

-----

Once they had finished spouting off the order to initiate the counterattack, neither Mars nor Jupiter had wasted any time. They teleported midstep, reappearing directly at the front lines. Then they threw themselves into the fray.

As usual, Mars favored her fire power over direct physical combat. She took out wave after wave of droids with her pyrokinetic dance. Red and orange walls, towering infernos, cyclones of heat. They all slammed into their opponents, turning them to so much dust, and leaving nothing but scorched jewels behind. They were so blackened that the inverted crescent wasn't even remotely visible anymore.

And still, they kept coming.

Jupiter, on the other hand, indulged in a little hand-to-hand, sending off bolts of thunder and green energy only when she had to keep from being overwhelmed. She moved her leg in a crescent shape, slamming her heel into the head of a kneeling droid. She punched overhead, she punched toward the ground, she punched in every conceivable direction until they fell. Then she finished the kill with a flash of lightning. But always she turned, her limbs flying, working out her rage through movement rather than raw power.

And still, they kept coming.

Mars slammed her back in Jupiter's. "There's so many," she gasped. "How are there this many?"

"Saffir's been busy," Jupiter groused, watching her elemental dragon swallow a group of advancing droids. "Apparently he doesn't eat, sleep, or fuck."

She could just picture the face Mars made when she said, "In a bad mood, are we?"

"How did you guess?"

They spun together, unleashing their grief and rage with fire and lightning. They burned and they vanquished, they decimated and they slaughtered. They fought hard for only a little while, but they killed so many.

And still, they kept coming.

"I really wish I could kick Saffir's ass for this," Jupiter remarked bitterly.

Mars was about to respond when they heard Serenity's call. They snapped to attention and looked towards the palace, which they had unknowingly advanced away from in the short time they had been fighting. They couldn't quite hear her, but they knew only one thing would lead her away from the palace. Only one little girl who couldn't protect herself in all this chaos.

"It's all happening just like we saw a thousand years ago," Jupiter murmured sadly. "What was the point of it? What was the God damn point of any of it?"

She thought of Haruka and Michiru and wanted to scream.

Mars caught her hand and dragged her forward. "Philosophy later. Serenity now."

Now in possession of a task, Jupiter momentarily set aside the loss of her friends and threw herself into battle with new vigor. Together, she and Mars cut down as many droids as they could to get back to their queen, taking care not to cause any friendly fire. They pushed forward, their eyes ever on Serenity, as piles of dust formed at their feet.

And still, they kept coming.

-----

"Chibi-Usa!" Serenity called desperately, staggering down the steps of the palace. The ground shook beneath her as if infuriated by this assault. Explosions resounded all around her. A part of the palace crumbled and fell to the ground, crystal, glittering dust flying into the air around her. She pressed on, covering her face with her hand until it passed. Then she took a deep breath of smoke-filled air and shouted, "Chibi-Usa!"

She came to a halt as an all-too familiar violet flash sprang up before her eyes. She had seen it time and again when the Akayashi sisters came calling, but she knew before the body materialized that no woman faced her now.

Her heart broke all over again when she set eyes on him. He was no longer the sweet, fumbling boy he had been seven years earlier. He had grown into a man in age if not in temperament, and he gazed at her with eyes that swam with lust. He suspended his body in mid-air, staring down at her, staking his claim by trying to assert his dominance.

She pitied that assumption and mourned the fact that he would never learn that she was too much for him, that her love was to powerful to be claimed.

She narrowed her eyes in rage, curling her fists. "How dare you come here, Prince Demando," she whispered, knowing that he could hear even with the war that surrounded them. "This is my home."

For all his obsession for her, Demando could not help but sneer. "Can you blame us for wanting Earth after you exiled us to that forgotten wasteland in the shadows? Can you blame my lust for this green land with rain that nourishes instead of destroys?"

She shook her head. "I never sent you there, just like I never gave you those marks."

His eyes softened, but the malevolent desire remained. "I know, my darling Queen. I know that was your husband's decision. Not yours."

The crystal was gone. Serenity had sensed the moment it had vanished almost in the same instant the attack had come. But even without the Ginzuishou, she still had plenty of power. She couldn't heal Demando, but she could do what she must to turn back the tide of this battle. She would fight to spare him just as she would fight to protect her home, her people, and her family. She lifted her arms above her head, spiraling into herself and gathering her power to her.

She would never know just where the blast came from.

-----

Mars and Jupiter barely made it to the palace steps in time. Mars sensed the enormous dark energy at her back but had no time to turn around to see who threw it. Without knowing where the power came from, without ever having done it before, she raised her hands and released magic foreign to the hands so used to fire. She saw Jupiter mimic her actions, saw the same translucent energy seep out of her gloved fingers. A moment later, Venus and Mercury appeared, completing the circle. And just before Serenity's body would have been destroyed by that blast, the crystal swarmed around her, locking her in the coffin that would be her prison for the foreseeable future.

Mars turned at Demando's howl of sorrow and rage. If she had not been so busy strengthening the crystal, she would have happily attacked him. Before they finished, he vanished, leaving her itching to kill something without wires and metal.

Finally, their task done, the Senshi lowered their arms. They had no business stopping, but they couldn't help but stare at what they had done. Mars walked forward gingerly, laying a tentative hand on the jagged crystal, looking at the queen so serenely posed from within. She looked like a doll or a wax figure, not a living thing.

"Were we in time?" she asked roughly, her voice rasping. "Is she—"

"Yes," Mercury assured her, already putting the computer away again. "Her vitals are fine. She's just… asleep."

"Nothing changed," Mars murmured, echoing Jupiter's words from a few minutes before. "All that work, and she's still gone."

Jupiter opened her mouth to speak when that damn purple light colored their features. Mars shouted in pain as a thousand explosions went off around them. She didn't move, using her body as a shield for her queen. Venus had to pull her down, shouting that Serenity was already protected.

When it was over, they were each badly battered from the assault. Prostrate on the ground, they each turned to see who had attacked them, and Mars saw red. Not because of the Akayashi sisters lined up in their colorful row. Not because of the smug look on Cooan's irritatingly young face. But because of Rubeus at its center, a smile twisted onto his bloodthirsty lips.

Mars snarled and moved to attack in the same instant the others did, but a joint bolt of power from Cooan, Beruche, and Petz laid them flat again. Stunned and disoriented, Mars could only listen to what followed.

"Get inside," Rubeus ordered just loud enough for them to hear. "Get the Rabbit."

Then they all vanished in a group teleport, revealing the wall of droids behind them. The mindless drones surged forward, an impenetrable wall ready to crash down.

None of them were well enough now to fight. Physically, they should have stayed down. But the memory of the fallen ones, the sorrow of the sleeping queen, and the endangered princess, drove them each to their feet before the droids hit. No one gave the order for the attack. No one even suggested it. They simply knew what must be done, and all four of them twirled in mirrored choreography, the dance of destruction.

"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"

For the briefest of moments, multi-colored lights flew forward. They spiraled in the air, twisting together, cutting through the air like neon. Then the light flattened out and mowed all of the droids down, destroying an innumerable amount of them while passing through the Crystal Guard and the Army of Earth, leaving their soldiers without a scratch.

The Sailor Senshi allowed themselves three seconds before springing into action.

"I'll take the East Wing route," Venus murmured harshly.

"We're sure she'll go there?" Jupiter asked, already staggering up the stairs.

Mars just snorted, heading west. "Nothing else has gone any differently. Why should that?"

"Besides," Mercury added, bringing up the rear, "where else can she go?"

-----

Endymion hung his head as he watched the clear crystal form to shield his wife's body from the blast. He had known this might happen, had realized from talking with Pluto that all their efforts might be in vain. But he had hoped with every cell in his body that he might save her from that long sleep. He could think of nothing more terrible for her then being trapped in slumber while her family fought around her. He had wanted her awake and with him through whatever came for them.

And he wanted Haruka and Michiru with him too.

He squeezed his eyes shut as every muscle in his body tensed. He hadn't been able to properly mourn them, hadn't been able to make sense of their death. And now his wife would sleep for who knew how long, and when she woke, her grief would be fresh and raw while his was a dull ache. War was never fair. He knew that. But they seemed to be shouldering more than their fair share.

White noise assaulted his ears, pulling him straight as if there was a string tied to his spine. At first he thought perhaps Umino had set the energy gun to a noise beam, but then he saw the static on the wide screen. Puzzled, he leaned forward and fiddled with a number of the dials.

Then Demando's face – over and over again Demando's face – filled every inch of the screen. Hundreds of twisted, violet eyes bore into him. Endymion was so shocked and enraged that he almost didn't notice Demando's lips moving, almost didn't hear his voice.

"Good-bye, Endymion."

Light overwhelmed his senses. Endymion shouted, throwing himself as far away from the panel as possible, covering his eyes with his cloak. But no amount of shielding could have protected him from the power that came through the computer screen. It crashed into his body, a tidal wave of energy. He drowned in it as it burned him, and he froze as it scorched. He felt bones shatter, felt his skin split open. His head felt as though it had been run over by a truck.

Finally, the assault passed. He struggled to get to his knees, and once there, found he couldn't hold himself up and collapsed again. He turned his head to screen and was shocked to discover it hadn't been destroyed. The video continued to play unabated as if nothing had ever happened.

But that was the art of Demando's cruelty.

Gritting his teeth, Endymion forced his eyes to remain open and held on to his tenuous grip on consciousness, watching the remainder of the battle unfold at the forbidden doorway.

-----

Despite the fact that she hadn't taken the most direct route, despite the fact that droids had poured in to block her path, and despite the fact that her left knee exploded with every step, Venus arrived at the door to the Fourth Dimension before the other Senshi. She did not, however, get there before Rubeus and the Akayashi sisters.

Rubeus had just finished throwing an attack at the door while the sisters remained off to the side, ready to charge if the doors fell in or snatch Chibi-Usa if she tried to bolt. He hunched over, hands on his knees and panting wildly. She couldn't see his eyes, but she imagined them well enough. She saw them in her mind just as she had seen them on the screen while he tortured and murdered Haruka and Michiru. She saw every movement, every grimace as she had watched every tiny cut he had inflicted on their bodies. She had watched it all and said that they deserved a witness, but that wasn't entirely true.

She wanted to see everything so that her fury would be unstoppable, so that she could rip him apart with her bare hands with no mercy and no remorse.

Venus didn't slow her pace as she burst into the hallway, rushing past the four sisters in a gold blur. She leapt on Rubeus without thinking, driving her thumbs into his eyes and sending small bursts of power from her tiara into his body. He bellowed in murderous rage and pain and tossed her off as if she weighed nothing at all. She performed an artful flip in the air, landing lightly on her good leg.

She looked at him with unshielded hatred. "You've taken enough from us today," she whispered, fighting to hold back the tears he would taunt as being weakness. "You won't take our princess."

Moments later, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars appeared from the routes they had taken, flanking her left and right. Venus basked in their god-like ferocity, drawing strength from the power of their grief. They were outnumbered, but she felt confident now that this they could change. They could make sure Rubeus and the sisters never made it to Tokyo in the past. They could kill them before they got the chance.

Rubeus's blood come to a boil as his senses sharpened for the kill. Blue fire spring from Cooan's fingertips. Beruche's braid swayed back and forth, blown by an unseen wind that chilled them to the bone. Lightning the color of night crackled around Petz's palms. Karaberas cracked her whip in vexation, itching to lash it against an unexposed back.

"Go," Venus said.

The four Senshi charged at the same moment their five opponents launched their respective attacks. Explosions sounded off the corridor as Rubeus unleashed his power, while Cooan's fire and Petz's lightning filled the hallway. Mars and Jupiter answered with their own elements, cutting those powers down and pushing through for the kill. Mercury and Beruche squared off in a corner, and soon the whole area was covered in a sheet of fine ice. Venus deftly avoided Karaberas's relentless whip and then landed a kick in her midsection, bruising a rib and propelling her into a wall.

The struggle between the groups seemed endless. They changed partners time and again, spinning left and right to avoid the assault and to launch their own in equal measure. The scent of blood filled the air, fine mists and sprays decorating the once pristine walls. By all accounts, none of them should have been able to stay on their feet, but they fought on and on, desperate to make the first kill.

Finally, Venus managed to lay Beruche out, giving her a moment to breathe. She turned to see how the others were faring and saw Rubeus reaching for Jupiter's head. She knew in an instant what he was going to do, envisioned him twisting her head around until her neck snapped, and she screamed.

Before taking aim and before even considering what she was about to do, Venus let her Love-Me Chain fly from her outstretched fingers. The gold metal sang as it shot through the air, a straight, taut line – a missile strike. She watched as the chain failed to wrap around his shoulders, a tactic she usually favored. She watched as it drove through the right side of his chest, mere inches away from his heart.

He let out a guttural croak as the wind from the now collapsed lung rushed out of his throat. In an instant, all four of his subordinates stopped what they were doing, shouting, "Master Rubeus!" with various pitches and inflections. They rushed forward as he fell back, supported by their thin, muscular arms.

Venus held on to the chain and watched as he stared at her with unrestrained hatred, the likes of which she knew he had never looked at her with before. And in that moment, she realized at least one thing had changed.

"Retreat," Rubeus hissed in disgust. Within moments, purple light sprang up around them and all five retreated to the Black Moon stronghold, wherever that may have been. Venus's chain fell to the floor with a clatter, dripping with blood black and shining red, like the edges of a nebula.

A few inches. Just a few inches from his heart and it would have been over.

"Mercury," Mars whispered quietly, "go see if Chibi-Usa made it out."

Venus felt their eyes on her, concerned and maybe a little afraid. She didn't want to think of how she looked. Crazed and thwarted she assumed.

A few inches. Just a few inches to the left.

Mercury never made it into the fourth dimension. Just before she laid her palm against the battered door, it swung open and Pluto stood on the threshold. Her crimson eyes were shadowed with ghosts of the past and whispers of the future.

"Small Lady," Jupiter blurted, reverting to the title in front of the Guardian. "Is she all right?"

Pluto's lips were pressed tightly together, and her nod was stiff, but it didn't change the answer. Chibi-Usa was safe. She had retreated to the safe harbor of their past, and no one would touch her there. Rubeus and the others would chase her all they wanted, but they would never have her. Their past selves would make sure of that. The others sagged in relief. Venus remained at attention.

"A few inches," she said to Pluto. "Just a few inches to the left."

"I know," Pluto said in the midnight velvet voice they had come to know so well. But with a face she did not recognize, an expression alien to the soldier of time. It took Venus a moment in her bloody haze to realize what it was.

Confusion. Which meant that in point of fact, Pluto did not know.

Venus had neither the time nor the desire to untangle that mystery.

"Come on," Mars said, her voice surprisingly gentle as she laid a soft hand to the small of Venus's back. "We have to get to the crystal tower. We have to form the shield."

Venus didn't move.

"Minako," Mars said with a bit more force. "He'll get what's coming."

"But not from me," she whispered, truly sorry for it.

"No," Mars agreed. "Not from any of us."

Venus longed to rail against that injustice, but Mars was right. Duty had to come before vengeance. People were dying, and the only thing that would save them was the shield that would surround the Crystal Palace. Mercury had designed it to let their allies in and out, but it would annihilate any Black Moon Rebels who dared to brush against it. It was their final, desperate defense, and the only one they truly had. Without the power of the Ginzuishou behind them, there was little they could do to defend the city before it collapsed.

And so Venus moved, running for the last time with her three sister-soldiers, running for the keep and the crystal tower, running towards the future and the destiny she had hoped to avoid.

In a few steps, she'd forgotten all about Pluto and that strange look on her face.

-----

Endymion gazed longingly at the body of his wife, yearning to look into her eyes almost as much as he yearned to be able to lay his hand on her crystal cage. He turned to briefly look at his hand, his heart sinking at its continued translucence and then turned back to Serenity again. Not needing to sleep, eat, or rest, he had stood constant vigil for the past forty-eight hours.

He had woken up one day after the Sailor Senshi retreated to the palace's inner sanctum to form a ring around the tower that would defend the palace from further attack. They were hidden deep beneath the Earth, and though he knew where they were, he would not have been able to enter. Only the four Senshi were allowed in that place. Not even his wife could have gone there had she had the power to move.

He clutched the non-existent staff in his non-existent hand.

All their efforts had been in vain. Oh, yes. Some things had changed, but none of them for the better. As best as he had been able to tell a thousand years earlier, Demando had not fallen in love with Serenity until the moment he chose to attack her. He had looked into those eyes, seen her defiance, and craved her. That, Endymion now realized, had been the real reason why he had sent Rubeus back into the past. He may have built up other logistical motives, but in reality, he had suspected that Sailor Moon and Serenity were one in the same. He could not have Serenity due to his own transgressions, so he had wanted her younger self. His search for his daughter had been nothing more than collateral, leverage to get what he wanted. This time around, they had fixed it so that Demando loved Serenity from the time he was fourteen, giving him years to nurture the obsession that threatened to bring them to their knees.

So Demando had not attacked her. But still, Serenity fell. Still she slept, trapped in the crystal chamber that kept her alive but kept them apart. Still she slept, unaware of the passage of time.

He grieved for her loss as if she had died, but it felt like a death. For that matter, he felt like he had died. Palace staff and the rest of Crystal Tokyo had been shuttled off to the safe houses far away from the battle grounds. The surviving warriors remained at the palace, but they never ventured inside. They were distrustful of the barrier and remained poised and ready to fight back the onslaught should it ever weaken. The Senshi were in the keep. His wife slept. And he wandered around without body and without form, a ghost haunting the remnants of his past.

For the first time in his life, Endymion felt truly helpless. There was nothing he could do. Without a body, he could not act no matter how sharp his mind was. He was trapped in a medically induced coma, his body too weak to heal in a wakeful state. All he could do was stand vigil. All he could do was wait.

He had no idea when his past self would arrive with the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Moon, and his precious daughter. Mamoru had not been able to discern that much from the brief time he had walked these halls, solid and whole. But he would wait for them all the same. He would not move from this spot until he sensed their presence in this time. Then he would lead them back to the palace, then he would tell them what he knew, then he would take back his daughter and know what it felt like to want nothing more than to hold her in his arms and be unable.

He tried to tell himself that they could not have changed that much. He tried to tell himself that it had been worth the risk to actively alter the future. He tried to tell himself that Haruka and Michiru's sacrifice had been worth something, that somehow their deaths had brought some good into the world. He tried to tell himself that their actions would not somehow prevent the past and future from colliding. But with each passing second, minute, hour, and day, his hope would wane just a little bit.

He did not know what he would do if no angel came.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

You know, if I had known that it would take me all of two days to finish the first draft of this chapter, I would have written this damn thing a year ago. Then again, I doubt I could have written this a year ago, so it's probably moot.

I am so very sorry that this took a year to come to life. 2008 was just… really crappy. I got almost nothing done in fandom, and I'd really prefer to just forget about how depressingly unproductive I was. But! Now I am back in the saddle so to speak and I'm pretty sure I've written more in the past three months than all of 2008. So yay.

Now then, for those of you who are confused by some of the changes in this chapter, although me to explain my theory of time for you because though I allude to it in the interlude, I'm not sure how coherent it is. For that matter, I'm not sure how coherent this will be, but we're going to give it a go.

For argument's sake, let us say that the story of Crystal Tokyo has happened three times. The first time, only the first season happened. Sailor Moon and company did not know they would one day form Crystal Tokyo, so imagine their surprise when they're off ruling the world. And imagine that they have absolutely no idea that Demando and the Black Moon even exist so when that future comes, that's all new to them.

Then Rubeus and the sisters go back into the past and the events basically play out as they did in the anime. However, for the future Chibi-Usa continually comes from, S, SuperS, and Stars never happen, so Hotaru and the other Outer Senshi, minus Pluto of course, aren't around because they had no reason to be around. Sailor Moon and company go through R and the subsequent seasons until the Great Ice happens again and Crystal Tokyo is created.

So this is the third time it's happened in the infinite number time cycles. Now they know what's going to happen, so they try to prevent it. So that's why minor things, like Demando not actually attacking Serenity and Rubeus being all blood thirsty for Minako, come to pass. And this time, they have the Outer Senshi at their disposal, so they use them. (For those who are wondering about Hotaru by the way, I feel like the Senshi of Death would have an aversion to immortality and going against the circle of life and all that jazz, so she opts not to be reborn while Sailor Moon is beginning the events that will culminate in the reawakening of Tokyo.) My kinder explanation of where the Outers are usually tends to be that they're off doing their job and guarding the outer realms of the solar system. However, I'm kind of a cruel person, so I went with this. xD

And that's pretty much where we are with this interlude. Hopefully that made some small measure of sense.

Thanks as always to my loverly beta, Yumeko, for agreeing to put up with my twisty, twisty plotlines and rambling emails as precursors to these chapters ridden with typos and plot holes. And another big thank you to all my readers, especially Kasey who never lets me forget that I'm the only one who actually knows what's going to happen and it's not fair to leave everyone hanging. On that note, I sincerely hope that it is not another year before I update this again. Happy trails!

Coming Soon – Part Eleven: Sinner/Saint


	12. Sinners and Saints

Forgotten Forever

Part Eleven: Sinners/Saints

by Kihin Ranno

11/25

R

"And that's the end of it. For now."

Mamoru could scarcely keep himself from laughing at how his future self concluded what was certainly the most horrible story he had ever heard, made all the worse thanks to its veracity. But he didn't dare open his mouth for fear of being sick all over the cold marble floors.

Where he felt drained and ill, Venus seemed completely shattered. She had not risen from her place beside the sleeping queen. In fact, as Endymion had talked, Venus had seemed to grow physically more and more reliant on the coffin – no, the formation – in which Serenity slept. Nevertheless, she had not shed a single tear. Instead, she'd covered her mouth in horror, shutting her eyes to the light of day, perhaps willing her eyes dry.

Her strength was something to admire and fear.

"I am sorry," the king murmured, and Mamoru recognized the sincerity in his own voice. "You see of course why I didn't want to discuss this today."

Mamoru looked to Venus to respond, but she merely shook her head, pressing her fingertips against her lips until they paled. He didn't know her that well, but he suspected that silence was far worse than the alternative. He moved towards her cautiously, as if approaching a wounded animal. "I think we had better be getting to bed now," he murmured, holding out a hand to the golden soldier. She stared at it, uncomprehending for a moment, and then took it, slowly rising to her feet.

Endymion nodded, the hologram giving the impression of a stop-motion camera projection. "Of course. However, since we have tarried for this long, and Chibi-Usa hasn't joined us, I think it would be best if I retrieved her. It would put my mind at ease to see her. I've missed her, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Mamoru and Venus gave each other twin looks of confusion. For the first time in ages, Venus spoke. "I'm sorry…. I'm a little lost."

A shadow of anxiety flashed across the ghostly face.

Mamoru's mind raced, putting together puzzle pieces he wished he didn't have. He thought of the story he had just been told, the name spoken, and the king's obvious concern. He was beginning to reach a conclusion he didn't want to come to.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Venus finished.

Mamoru watched his own face morph from worry to terror, and he had to turn away.

"My daughter. Where is my daughter?"

-----

Once she had exhausted her tears, Usagi had to get out. She was the first to admit that she wasn't all that smart, but the implications of the room and Demando's behavior were obvious even to her. She could see her friends, and she had the run of the castle; she would take advantage of that gift to its fullest extent.

There was little question of who she wanted to see first. She loved all her friends dearly, but she could not handle Rei or Makoto like this. She knew they would both be furious. She couldn't bear their anger when it was useless to aid her.

She wanted Ami. Quiet, sensible Ami, who would comfort her with soft words and promises of plans to free them. She wanted to be soothed, not assured of vengeance. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than indulgence in her own self-pity.

Usagi scrubbed her eyes with her hands and immediately moved to the door. She threw it open, prepared to depart, but promptly leapt back into the room when she saw the monster on the other side.

It looked vaguely human and distinctly female, but Usagi could not bring herself to call it 'she.' Its skin was supernaturally pale with a faint bluish tint. Its clothes were fairly simple, cut and styled into a military jacket and pants that reminded her vaguely of the Shitennou's uniform. However, the cloth was brightly dyed lavender and embroidered with inverted, black crescents. Though what disturbed Usagi the most was the blood-red garnet set into the thing's forehead. When she looked closely, she saw another black moon floating inside the gem.

"Do you require an escort, Serenity?" it asked.

Usagi stared at its face, searching it for a trace of emotion or curiosity. Finding none, she decided that this must be what Demando had called a droid. "I… I don't really have a choice, do I?"

It didn't answer. Usagi wondered if it could.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'd like to see Ami. Sailor Mercury. Please."

It bowed to her, bending low at the waist. Usagi thought she heard the faint whir of machinery. "Of course, Serenity."

Usagi almost begged the droid not to call her that and not to bow, but something told her that it would have been a fruitless exercise. She nodded wearily and trailed after the figure, hoping that the trek would be a short one.

Now that she wasn't being dragged around by the elbow, Usagi had the opportunity to study her surroundings in detail. If she had to describe the décor in one word, it would undoubtedly be 'dark.' This extended even to the lighting, such as it was. Curiously, try as she might, she could find no direct sources of light or windows.

The walls and floors were sculpted out of still more gem-like substances that reminded her of emerald, sapphire, and amethyst. However, they didn't have the clarity or beauty that she associated with the stones. There was something dirty, inky about it all. It would undoubtedly leave Makoto with an urge to scrub the walls clean.

The hallways were bare. Occasionally she saw some patterns engraved in the stone, but other than that, they were empty. It was utterly joyless.

Nonetheless, the halls were not lacking inhabitants. It was hardly bustling, but they did pass a fair number of people on their journey. Thankfully, Usagi did not see another droid. She passed a fairly even mix of servants, upper level palace workers, and diplomats or nobility of some sort. Every one of them had jewel-toned hair and sickly pale skin. Each bore the black tattoo upon their brow, the perversion of the Silver Millennium's symbol. And they all bowed, though she could not miss the disdain in some glances.

They blamed her for something she had not done, and it made her want to scream.

Finally, the droid ground to a halt in front of a metal door or gate. Usagi stumbled over her own feet, surprised that they had reached the end of the road. Then she saw the row of lights above the door. They pulsed blue.

Usagi let out a tiny sob of relief and ran for the door. It drew up as she approached. And the only thing she saw was Ami. Wonderful Ami with her cropped hair falling over her ears, where twin black stones dangled and glittered in the half-light.

"Ami!" Usagi shouted, running into the room.

The other girl spun at the sound of her name and immediately opened her arms. "Usagi!"

Usagi barreled into Ami gracelessly, closing her arms around the other girl's neck. She buried her face in the slim shoulder, letting loose another storm of tears. She cried again, drinking in Ami's soothing murmurs and the feel of hands rubbing against her back.

Usagi knew she should be stronger. This weakness would be exploited, and it would be better if she could stifle her tears and stand tall. It would be best if she could be the soldier she was supposed to be.

But she was just too tired to care.

-----

Although Ami had not expected to see Usagi, she was certainly not mystified by Usagi's behavior. Too much had happened. Rei would undoubtedly bully her towards composing herself, and perhaps that was what she ultimately needed. But bearing everything in mind, Ami didn't have the heart to try.

Usagi's reservoir for tears had always struck Ami as boundless, and the current situation called on all of Usagi's reserves. The blonde wept horribly, clinging to Ami like a frightened child. Ami allowed her to grieve for a long time, until she became concerned that Usagi would make herself sick. Only then did Ami insist Usagi stop with her firmest voice. It took some time, but finally, Usagi calmed down.

With that accomplished, Ami asked, "Did he hurt you?"

Usagi shook her head, and Ami felt the tension in her shoulders melt away slightly. "No. I mean, he… he kissed me, but he didn't…."

Ami couldn't bear to hear the words, and Usagi couldn't bear to say them. "Good. That's good. That ought to keep Rei and Makoto in check."

Usagi looked ill at the suggestion, though not terribly surprised. "What happened?"

Ami circled her stomach with one arm. "It was awful. They both fought so hard, screaming and spitting and clawing. I thought they were going to be killed. I kept asking where you were, and they wouldn't tell me, wouldn't tell any of us. They just dragged us off without explanation and dumped us here."

For the first time, Usagi took a moment to take in Ami's new quarters, and she looked just as shocked as Ami had been. Ami smiled wryly. "I know. As far as prison cells go, it could be worse."

The furniture itself wasn't terribly remarkable – lightweight, naturally stained wood, a bed with cream-colored bedding, and braided rugs done in a variety of blues. The truly astounding part of the room was that the walls were completely covered floor-to-ceiling in bookshelves filled to the brim with novels, textbooks, and every other kind of reading material imaginable. Ami imagined that technology had progressed so that paper books were obsolete, but apparently for her, they had made an exception. She found herself appreciative of the efforts, though she knew they had not been for her benefit so much as Usagi's.

Usagi wandered away from Ami, running her fingertips along the spines of the books. "They're all so old."

"Once I calmed down, I did take a look. It seems these were salvaged from disaster. There's a lot of water and smoke damage, but all readable from what I can see." She paused, deciding to test the waters. "It's almost like a kindness, isn't it?"

Usagi exhaled sharply, resting her head against an old dictionary. "It means they want to keep us."

This was decidedly untrue. In reality, it meant that they wanted to keep Usagi. The words tingled against Ami's tongue, but she could not say it aloud. "At least it seems to indicate that we won't be tortured for spite," she said, pointedly not thinking about where Rubeus fit into all of this.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Usagi murmured horribly.

Ami's chest twisted. "Usagi?"

"He wants me to love him," Usagi whispered, spinning around. She hunched over, hugging herself. "He says he loves me, and that's why he took me. He wants… he wants me to forget about Mamoru, and he wants to use you as a… bargaining chip or something.

"I don't know what to do. I can't bring myself to pretend, and he doesn't even need me to." Usagi's lower lip trembled. "Ami, he can control me. He does something, and it's like I don't even feel my own body anymore. I'm just watching while he—" She cut off abruptly, her fingers dug into her bare arms. "He didn't force me this time, Ami, but he can. He can do it, and he can make it so I won't even scream."

Ami curled her hand into a fist, gathering up the fabric at her neckline so tightly she feared it would rip. She wasn't a person easily carried away by hate. Rei and Makoto gave in to it all too easily, but she and Usagi had always been alike in willingness to forgive and be kind.

Clearly, Ami had found her exception to the rule.

"We won't let that happen."

"How do we stop it?"

Ami strode over to Usagi, assuming a confidence she could not honestly feel. She pulled at the girl's wrists and held them in her hands, squeezing.

"I'll get us out of here," Ami swore. "I don't know how, and I don't know when. But I promise: I will get us free before he lays a hand on you."

She would never admit it aloud, but when Usagi smiled at her, assured that Ami was telling the truth, Ami felt consumed by a guilt that threatened to overwhelm her. All she could do was pray that she told the truth.

-----

Saffir was not the least bit surprised when his brother sought him out shortly after going to see the past incarnation of the Neo-Queen. He was even less surprised by the state the prince was in.

"How dare she?" Demando demanded, sweeping into Saffir's laboratory. The equipment in the room trembled with every step his brother took as if even it feared him.

Saffir turned away from his current work and pulled off his glasses, flicking them away into the darkness. "How dare she what, brother?"

"She doesn't forget him," Demando seethed, leaning over a drafting table. Saffir discreetly vanished all of the instruments near his brother lest they fall victim to the prince's rage.

"Did you expect her to?" Saffir asked calmly.

Demando's shoulders sagged ever so slightly. Anyone else would have missed this concession in his body, but Saffir knew him better than all others. Even the Wiseman. "No. I'm not a fool." He turned, glowering. "But I do expect her to keep me from knowing about it."

Saffir smiled wryly. "She is not yet the queen you know; she's only fourteen."

Demando arched a white eyebrow. "Fourteen? That young."

Saffir governed his thoughts so that he read nothing into that observation. "If you hold the girl up to the standards of the woman, you're bound to be disappointed," Saffir reasoned. "Simply remember that you are not yet dealing with Serenity, no matter what name you call her."

The corner of Demando's mouth turned downward. "She insists on being called by her birth name."

"It might be something to consider," Saffir suggested smoothly. "You're not likely to endear yourself to her if you refuse every request."

Demando's eyes flashed in temper. "She is not ruler here, Saffir."

"I didn't say that," Saffir soothed. "I am simply saying that one's name is one's identity, and she might be more… at ease if you used her real name. Usagi."

Demando continued to glare. "It's revolting."

"It's hers."

As always, Saffir waited with mild trepidation to see how his advice would be taken. Several tense moments passed before Demando's countenance softened, and only then did Saffir exhale his relief. The love between them did not change the fact that his brother was a dangerous man. Demando had not yet found the occasion to show violence to his younger sibling, but Saffir wasn't stupid enough to assume that this would always be the case. "Perhaps you're right," the prince conceded.

"And after a time, maybe you could call her Serenity," Saffir suggested, banking now on his brother's steadier mood. "She is young, and the young are easily molded." He refrained from citing evidence of this fact in Demando's own childhood.

Demando's interest was piqued. "Molded?"

Saffir licked his lips and took another step forward. "In time, she could become everything you want and need. You need only apply the right pressure."

Demando chuckled, and all the anger that had remained coiled within him was released. "I want her to become nothing more than her destiny dictates." Demando closed the gap between them and curled a hand around Saffir's neck, pulling him forward until their brows met. "What would I do without you, Saffir?"

It was a common question that the prince asked, one always spoken after these meetings. It was part of their routine, and the routine dictated only one answer.

"I expect you'd die horribly, brother."

Demando laughed again and kissed Saffir on his forehead. "Thank you. Really."

Saffir nodded. Demando pulled away then, preparing to take his leave in order to attend to matters of state, or perhaps to implement Saffir's advice into action. Saffir should have let his brother go, but impulsively, he said one more thing. "Go gently with her."

The prince paused, curious. "You care?"

Saffir looked over his shoulder, smiling as widely as he dared.

"Only for you, brother."

-----

"Tell me where she is!"

Cooan groaned at the sound of yet another crash. She knew a lot of time and effort had gone in to setting up rooms for the three Senshi and the future Neo Queen, and Mars was very quickly destroying a quarter of it. Not that Cooan ought to have been surprised.

"How long has this been going on?" Cooan asked the droid in a low voice. She'd been sent for as the leading authority on how to deal with Mars, but Cooan wished they had asked Petz. Unfortunately, Petz had been summoned to deal with a similar uprising from Jupiter.

Weeks and possibly even days before, Cooan would have jumped at the chance to discipline Mars in whatever capacity, but things had changed for her. For too long, she had begun to feel more than hatred and disgust for Mars. Now there was more confusion than she would have liked to admit. Facing Mars meant owning up to that, and facing her problems was not exactly Cooan's forte.

"As soon as Lord Saffir finished healing her, she began it."

Cooan sighed. No doubt the room would look as though a tornado had been through it by this time. "Go fetch Serenity. Tell her that Mars needs to see her." The droid nodded and turned to carry out the order. "No doubt she'll know exactly what that means," Cooan muttered to its back. Then she gestured at Mars's closed door and prepared to face the girl during the time it took to rise.

As Cooan had suspected, Mars had made short order of wrecking her surroundings. She had ripped down the canopy from her bed, completely trampled the meditation space, and had now moved on to throwing the wall-hangings about. Upon seeing Cooan, Mars quickly threw one in her direction. The ornate frame hurtled through space, turning end over end at an alarming speed. Nevertheless, Cooan merely raised an eyebrow and blasted it out of the air with a low-powered ice fire.

"You know, throwing a hissy fit isn't likely to get what you want," Cooan pointed out.

Mars glared. "It got you here, didn't it?"

Cooan blinked, taken aback. "You wanted to see me?"

Mars abruptly sat down on her ruined bed, petulantly folding her arms. "I want to know where Usagi is."

"Here. Are we done?"

The girl's ears burned pink with frustration. "I mean, is she all right?"

Cooan smirked. "If that's what you meant, you should have asked that."

Mars leapt to her feet and began to stalk forward, her earrings reflecting the light as she walked. "Listen to me, you tacky bitch: if I don't get a straight answer out of someone, I'll—"

As she came too near the doorway, a forcefield shimmered into existence. She bounced off it harmlessly, which Cooan thought was a pity.

"You'll what?" Cooan snapped. "You can't even leave your room without Serenity. Face it. There's nothing you can do. So stop shrieking and wait for her to tell her yourself."

Mars let out a short scream and kicked an end table by the door. Then she rounded on Cooan again. "I know why you brought her here; I know what he wants from her. It's sick! And if I have to wait a century to make him pay for even _thinking_ about it, I'll do it!"

Cooan continued to be amazed at the girl's political idiocy. She chose to ignore the fact that all of her sisters had said as much to her in the past. "How is threatening the prince going to help your situation?"

"Well, I have to do something, don't I?" Mars shouted, her voice breaking. "I can't just… wait."

For a moment, Cooan felt a twinge in her breast. It was almost like pity. "You don't have a choice."

"And if it was one of your sisters?" Mars demanded. "What would you do then?"

Unbidden, the memory of Beruche's words sprang to her mind. She'd chastised Cooan for asking who Beruche would sacrifice herself for: the people or one of her sisters. Beruche had insisted she would risk her life for no one.

Supposing this was the right answer, Cooan said, "I take care of myself. I'm no martyr."

Mars stared at Cooan in disbelief. Cooan thought that the soldier looked very small amidst the havoc she'd wrought. Before she could give much thought to that however, Mars spoke again.

"How can you be so cold?"

The words shook her to her very core. Although she had confessed doubts about these younger Senshi to Petz and Beruche before, this hit close to home. It was a favored saying among Nemesians: the fire princess is an ice queen. That Mars chose this particular descriptor made her shudder. The girl could not have known what the words meant.

But then, that was the point, wasn't it? Reconciling the girl-soldier with the demon-warrior of the future.

"Rei!"

Cooan whirled, startled out of her reverie. She was not as relieved as she had expected at the sight of Sailor Moon – Serenity now, she supposed. She could not pinpoint the discomfort she felt at the emergence of the blonde. In a way, she felt thwarted. As if there were more questions she could have asked Mars, answers she felt entitled to that she now could not ask.

Serenity ran past Cooan as if she wasn't even there and threw her arms around Mars. Cooan didn't stay to listen to the twin reassurances and feverish whispers. She turned on her heel, leaving the two to their own devices. She did not fear Mars would continue her tirade now. Serenity would surely keep her in check.

Besides, Cooan had her own matters to attend to.

-----

Rubeus was not the sort of man who dreamed pleasantly. In point of fact, any other man who experienced his visions would be far more inclined to call them nightmares, but he longed to stay in his world of darkness drenched in blood. The nonsensical terrors that filled his mind served as entertainment, sometimes even inspiration. He was loathe to emerge from sleep for this reason alone.

He was even less inclined to wake when someone found it necessary to poke him unceasingly.

"Wake up, you ugly brute," a familiar voice scolded. "I need to talk to you."

Rubeus curled his lip, anticipating a tiresome exchange. "Esmeraude, has it ever occurred to you that poking a sleeping tiger might not be the best of ideas?"

Esmeraude let out that horrific laugh, which brought Rubeus completely into wakefulness. No one could sleep with that racket. He glared up at the green-clad woman, her fan unfurled by her gaping mouth and her hip jutted out to accentuate her curves. He was familiar with the pose. She wanted something.

Then again, when didn't Esmeraude want something?

"You would willingly compare yourself to an animal," she cackled.

"Shut up, insufferable harpy," Rubeus groaned. "I take it I'm on Nemesis."

Esmeraude calmed down and busied her hands with fanning herself in a way she no doubt thought was seductive. As if sensing his irritation, she closed it with a snap. "Actually, no. We're on Earth. Prince Demando and the Wiseman didn't think it was a good idea to be too far removed from the palace and the battlefield."

Rubeus grunted non-commitally. Personally, he would rather be on Nemesis. His comrades hoped to take over Earth and live on it once again, and Rubeus agreed with them for a number of reasons. However, considering their guests and his current frame of mind, his home planet, where every day could feel like a battle, seemed more fitting.

"Poor Rubeus," Esmeraude purred, running the tip of her fan down his arm. "Our favorite general bested by the Time Guardian. Who could have seen that coming?"

Rubeus sneered. "Already using the royal 'we,' Esmeraude? Doesn't Demando have to think of you as more than a pity fuck first?"

Esmeraude's sharp smile twitched into a grimace. "And what kind of fuck would Venus have been, Rubeus? If you'd managed to keep your disgusting hands on her, that is."

If he had been in better condition, he would have happily attacked her for saying as much. Then again, if he had been up and about, she probably wouldn't have dared. "Enough. What is it you want?"

She feigned a sweeter smile. "What makes you think I want something?"

Rubeus growled. If she was playing at coy, that meant Esmeraude was still weighing her options. Rubeus couldn't stand Esmeraude, but he knew better than to call her stupid. She was a conniving little bitch, and a self-proclaimed master of manipulation. She certainly had it in mind to use Rubeus for something, but she hadn't quite worked out the particulars yet. Still, she wanted him to know that he was a cog in her ever-working machine. Whether she meant to soften him ahead of time or just irritate him, he couldn't say.

"I merely came as a favor," Esmeraude called out, already turning and sauntering away from him, her hips leading the way. "I thought it might interest you to know that Prince Demando ordered Saffir to send out a squadron of droids to the Time Gate. It seems that, having been presented with the opportunity to eliminate Endymion, he wasted no time. And I seem to remember that he said it no longer mattered whether or not Venus came back alive."

Rubeus's blood boiled. Even if she did need him, she couldn't resist needling him. She wanted him to know that there was a good chance Venus would be dead, and not by his hand. She wanted him to know that a droid – a mindless drone – could very well succeed where he had failed. Twice.

She wanted him to know that his blood lust could easily be denied. Perhaps she wanted to him to share in her own frustrations.

Still, Rubeus could not be outdone. Rage and threats had never done much good with Esmeraude. The only way to combat her was to play her own game. So he merely chuckled in response.

"I wonder how long that will last once Prince Demando's new pet gets wind of it."

Rubeus knew to duck the chamber pot long before she threw it at his head.

-----

Petz snarled as she made her way to Jupiter's quarters. She didn't know how to deal with Jupiter short of beating her; the droids ought to have known that. Still, she knew better than to leave the green soldier to her own devices. If Prince Demando heard of the disturbance and Petz's failure to act, there was no telling the punishment that would be doled out. After all, his behavior could not be predicted now that his beloved queen walked his halls.

As she rounded the corner, her ears picked up on a voice distinctly different from that of the soldier's. Her body tensed and began to backtrack before her mind sorted out the identity of the other speaker. By the time it completely registered, it was too late. She'd been seen.

"If you would just stop yelling, I could—Oh." Saffir drew himself up to his full height, a habit she had once only noticed him indulging with Rubeus. Her stomach twisted to know that she now warranted the same behavior. "I… I asked for someone to talk to her, but I… I thought they would send… Usagi. I didn't—"

"Usagi?" Petz asked brusquely, retreating to neutral territory.

"It's the name Serenity prefers to be called by," Saffir clarified, still raising his voice to be heard over Jupiter's theatrics. "I'm adjusting to it."

Petz clenched her fists tighter. "I don't see why we have to address her as she likes. After what I went through to get her here, I should be able to call her what I damn well please."

Saffir sighed, attempting to make it sound like an innocuous breath, and failing. "It would serve our purpose well to put her more at ease."

"Don't do that," Petz snapped before she could stop herself.

"Do what?"

"Talk down to me." Petz closed the gap between them, resorting to the old stand-by of physical intimidation. "I hate when you do that. I always hated it."

Saffir lifted his hands, a medical bag slung over his wrist. "I wasn't doing that."

She snorted. "I never know if you're being dishonest or just delusional."

He narrowed his eyes coolly, but she didn't miss the way his Adam's apple spasmed at his pale throat. "I cannot think of a single instance where I haven't been completely up front with you, and of everyone in this place, I think I'm the last who would resort to deluding himself."

"Oh, so I'm delusional now?"

"I never said that. You're always putting words in my mouth."

"Someone has to!" Petz yelled, conscious of the way her accusations echoed across the vaulted ceilings. "You never say anything. Not anything of value."

Saffir closed his eyes. She knew he was coming up with chess strategies in his head. He always did that when he felt on the verge of losing his temper. He never understood how much better things would be if he simply stopped restraining himself. "Do we have to do this? Again?"

"No," Petz glowered, surprised at her own answer. She swallowed, collecting herself. "No, we don't."

Saffir's posture relaxed a fraction. "Then why are we?"

Petz followed his lead, relaxing her fingers. She tried to let her hands hang lose at her side, but without her anger to shield her, she felt oddly exposed. She folded her arms in front of her chest. "Because you bring out the worst in me. Always have."

He smiled sadly. "Not always."

Her chest contracted as those two simple words caused a flood of physical memories. It was as if she could feel his arms encircling her. She remembered her flushed cheek pressing against his smooth chest, damp with sweat and rising fast as he regained his breath. And she remembered the way he'd smelled, the look in his eyes, and his so seldom heard laughter. She even remembered the rarer sound of her own, though the memory was so distant that the particulars of the sound escaped her. In her mind, it sounded far more like Karaberas's than her own.

"Don't," she croaked, surprised at her weakness and the display of emotion. She hardened herself, and when she spoke again, her voice was steel. "Don't bring up the past, Saffir. It doesn't do either of us any good to dwell there."

They all would have been the one to laugh now, pointing out her hypocrisy. Petz advised to leave the past behind, but hadn't they all wanted to say as much to her when she raged at nothing and they knew the real cause?

"No," Saffir agreed, "I suppose not."

They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, and not for the first time, Petz found the words in her mind. Her tongue itched, longing to give voice to them, but she kept her jaw resolutely shut. Speaking would have flown in the face of what she professed to want, and it would have opened the still raw wound. Part of her could not let go of her desire, perhaps her need to ask him one simple question.

Just then, the scurry of light footsteps rang out behind her. Petz didn't need to turn around to know it was Serenity – perhaps Usagi. No one else would have moved like that. It spoke to the awkwardness of their current situation that Petz was actually relieved the girl had come.

"I'm sorry," Serenity said, her face pink from exertion. Petz chuckled grimly at the absurdity of the captive apologizing to her jailers. She did not, however, miss the trembling in Serenity's voice. She was still afraid of them, despite the promises Demando had made her. Well, at least the girl had the good sense to be wary.

Because she had a past with Petz, Serenity could not stop staring at her like a frightened doe. "I came as soon as I could leave Rei. Is she all right?"

Saffir, ever the gentleman, bowed slightly, clasping one hand to his chest. Somehow, he managed to relax his permanently furrowed brow for the benefit of Demando's precious queen. He introduced himself as the prince's brother, which understandably made the girl wary. Still, Saffir pressed on, offering comfort in his own cold way by showing her nothing but courtesy. He explained that he had not been able to see Jupiter as of yet, but that he was sure her presence would calm her enough to make an examination possible.

Knowing that she was no longer needed, Petz turned to go. She was glad to leave, really. She couldn't stand dealing with Saffir or Jupiter; seeing both of them at once would have been intolerable. Still, she couldn't help but pause before she turned the corner. And certain that Saffir couldn't hear, she gave voice to the words she seemed to resist constantly when she was around him.

"Why did you leave me?"

It was a relief to say. After all, it wasn't that she needed an answer. She already knew why they weren't together anymore. Her sisters no doubt thought that Petz's personality had repulsed the steady Saffir, forgetting that her temper had only reached uncontrollable levels after their affair had ended. Perhaps they would have had other guesses, but she doubted any of them, not even Beruche, could have come up with the most obvious answer.

Saffir had left her because she was not the most important person in his life and never would be.

She hated him for that. Hated that he didn't love her enough. Hated that she couldn't even blame him for it.

Before her emotions overwhelmed her, Petz straightened her back and walked back to her own rooms. Once there, she readied herself for bed, shedding the clothes that were practically her uniform and pulling on a shirt she'd neglected to return to her former lover. Then she lowered herself into her cold bed, snapped to dim the light crystals, and closed her eyes.

It was not until she was on the edge of sleep that she realized that Jupiter had stopped screaming during Petz's conversation with Saffir. Her green eyes flew open as they burned with shame.

The bitch had heard every word.

-----

Venus gaped, unwilling and unable to mask her surprise. Of course she knew from the King's story that he had a daughter. Nevertheless, he had neglected to mention that the child – Chibi-Usa – was supposed to be in their custody. But then, if he had taken it for granted, he would have had no reason to bring it up. Suddenly, the king's query as to whether or not "she" was safe took on a whole different meaning. He hadn't meant Pluto at all; he had been talking about the girl so obviously named for her mother.

She physically ached thinking of it. Instinctively, she looked up at Mamoru. He looked like he was about to be sick.

"I don't understand," Endymion confessed, his voice and even the projection of his body trembling. "I know she made it to the Time Gate. I saw it on the monitor. She ran in, and Pluto confirmed…." He trailed off, and a wave of rage seemed to run through him. His face could not actually darken, bloodless as it was, but Venus couldn't help but shiver at his expression. She was used to Mamoru acting bewildered and ineffectual. She had forgotten that when in possession of his faculties, he could be a formidable opponent.

"Pluto!" he shouted. "Show yourself!"

To Venus's surprise, the Time Guardian appeared almost instantly in a flash of dark crimson light. Fog clung to her skin but began to evaporate rapidly now that she was outside of the gate. Pluto knelt immediately, her head bent. At first, Venus wondered if Pluto knew the hell that was about to rain down on her, and then she realized how silly that curiosity was.

"Where is she?" Endymion demanded. Venus was surprised how intimidating he was despite his translucence. "Where did you put her?"

To her credit, Pluto did not feign ignorance. "I regret to inform you that there was a… complication when Small Lady retreated to the past. She did not return to 1993 as planned."

"Us," Mamoru whispered. His hollow voice was so quiet, Venus knew she was the only one who could hear him. "She was supposed to come to us."

She knew he was wracked with guilt for something he'd had no control over. She felt the same way. A tiny, traitorous part of her wondered if maybe she had been too quick to blame him for his amnesia, but she shoved it away. Regardless of where she stood on that, she couldn't devote the time or energy to analyze the situation. She turned her attention back to the crouching soldier and the raging king.

Though Pluto had looked serious before, Venus could now see just how old her youthful face looked in her grief. She remembered that the girl had used to go see Pluto, and Venus realized that this solitary warrior must have loved her. She felt sick at heart and suddenly longed to tell Pluto how much she could sympathize. She had lost people she loved too, after all.

"What happened, Pluto?" Endymion asked, still shaking. "I demand that you tell me!"

Pluto swallowed, taking a moment to compose herself. Venus noticed her grip on the staff and guessed that her knuckles were white beneath her gloves. "I don't know," she confessed.

Both Venus and Mamoru, who barely knew this woman, reeled from this revelation. To Endymion, it was clearly incomprehensible.

"How can you not know?" he hissed. "Time is your domain! You command it, you—"

"All due respect, I command nothing," Pluto interrupted, her voice tight with barely suppressed emotion. Venus thought it might have been shame she hoped to hide from him. "I manipulate, and I watch. If you were under the impression that I was omnipotent where the fourth dimension is concerned, I must disappoint you."

Endymion looked ready to retreat back behind his anger, but perhaps he thought better of it. Or maybe he simply didn't know how to uphold it in the face of such unexpected anguish. Nevertheless, he gave into it before the Time Guardian. "Pluto, please," he pled, his voice breaking. "I beg you. For once in your life, be direct."

Pluto nodded slowly, and once again took her time to phrase the news. "I cannot know for certain what happened. I can credit it to the Wiseman's interference, or the disruption of the Timeline, which seems to stem from your past self's continued amnesia in this matter. Regardless, the disruption was enough to alter Small Lady's course and deposit her elsewhere in time. I have searched for her in all of time that is open to me. However, the past and future directly connected with yourself and the other Sailor Senshi is hidden from me. It is most likely that she is in such a year."

Looking at Endymion, for the first time, Venus thought it was possible to die from sorrow.

"How could this have happened?" he murmured. "How will you find her?"

"There are others who have access to the fourth dimension who are not similarly guarded against," Pluto affirmed. "They are searching for the princess. They will find her."

Endymion shook again – flickered might have been a better word – and he pulled his rage around him again like armor. "When, Pluto? Before or after the Wiseman finds her?"

"There is no reason to believe they are even searching for the princess," Pluto said unsteadily. Clearly, she didn't lend much credence to this theory, and Venus knew Endymion was not the only one she was attempting to convince.

"Of course they'll want her!" Endymion shouted. "You know what happened last time, perhaps every other time. They turned her against us, corrupted her. They turned her into something barely human."

"I'll find her," Pluto repeated, her voice like sharpened.

Endymion shook his head. "How could you keep this from me?"

Venus barely managed to keep from intervening. How could he not know? How could he overlook her guilt? Venus was beginning to think she was the only one in the room who knew what was really going on, and considering she barely knew the other woman, she thought that was horribly sad.

Pluto exhaled quietly, still managing to conceal this from him. "It was being handled. What good would it have done to tell you?"

"She is my daughter!" Endymion yelled, causing Mamoru and Venus to wince. "You told me she was safe!"

"She is," Pluto maintained.

"How can you know if you do not know where she is?"

Her magenta eyes flashed. "I would know if anything happened to her."

"But this knowledge will not lead you to her," Endymion spat. "What good is that then?"

Pluto bent her head, chastened.

"I have to wonder, Pluto," the king said, his voice conjuring up an image of a rose's thorns, "if you're still keeping things from me. Is this another one of your games to preserve the timeline? Do you even _care_ about her?"

No one could have missed the cold fury that bloomed in the Time Guardian's eyes then.

She straightened with the hurried grace of a panther and stared down the king as if he was not a monarch of power, but as an equal who had taken one liberty too much. "King, I know that you are angry with me, and I know that the loss of your daughter is a grievance too great to be forgiven. You have every right to berate me and even to resort to violence if you so choose.

"But suggesting that I feel nothing for the princess is something I will not tolerate, however justified the feeling behind it."

The king stared, shocked at being reprimanded by the sinner in the room. He seemed ready to dress her down all over again, but he then he stopped to consider her. Venus exhaled, releasing a tiny coil of tension in her stomach. She saw now that he was seeing what had been so obvious to the golden soldier: her own sorrow, her own regret, her own guilt over what had happened. She might not have screamed and cried, but she felt just as deeply – perhaps more so – over what had happened. To think otherwise was a grave mistake.

Venus thought that perhaps, on another day, the king would have acknowledged this, but now was not the time. He shut his eyes, unable to even look at her anymore. "Get out of my sight," Endymion hissed, desperation evident in every syllable.

Nevertheless, Pluto nodded and vanished from their presence as quickly as she had come. She retreated back to her shadow world of unordered time, leaving Venus and Mamoru to contend with a tormented monarch. As she left them, Venus could not help but consider her own surety of what Pluto had been feeling. She had been as certain of Pluto's emotions as she was of her own. Was this some other latent ability of hers, like the sixth sense about bad places, bad people, and lovers' fates?

Or were she and Pluto simply more alike than Venus ever could have guessed?

-----

After Pluto returned to the Time Gate, Endymion had left them as well, sending a guard to lead them to their rooms. Clearly, the man was unnerved seeing the past selves of his king and one of the kingdom's protectors, a sight likely not welcome considering the peril the kingdom was already in. As a result, the guard more or less gave them directions to where they would be sleeping as opposed to taking them there himself. Mamoru was relieved; he didn't have the energy to deal with entertaining a new acquaintance.

Mamoru led the way, clearly having the better head for directions. Venus trailed behind him in respectful silence, her hands clasped behind her back. Mamoru was more grateful for it than he could say.

He couldn't even begin to sort through all of the information he had been given over the past twenty-four hours. Being told that he had led a life he could not remember was earth-shattering enough. The revelation that the girls he teased and rolled his eyes at were magical warriors had only served to rock his foundations even more. Now he had caught a glimpse of a future dependent on that lost memory, and he had learned of a war and a unfathomable kingdom.

And to top it all off, he had a child.

Mamoru couldn't say he had ever given thought to having children. He had never seen himself as the settling down type. Not to say he was a notorious playboy; he simply wasn't the kind to open himself up. In every relationship he'd had, it would reach a point where his significant other would want more from him than he could give. Sometimes she stuck around for awhile, convinced she could change him, but she never could. So she walked away in disgust. Most of them were married to someone else within a year of leaving him. He was always invited to the weddings. He never went.

Without a woman to become his wife, the likelihood of having a child was slim to none. Granted, there was always the possibility of an accident occurring; he wasn't a monk. Even with that in mind, he doubted the mother would have allowed him in the baby's life, had she kept it. He would be a means of financial support to be sure, but what more could he offer a little boy or girl? He knew nothing about dealing with adults, much less children. He'd never even had a father, or at least not one he could remember.

But somehow, another version of himself had managed it. He had learned to love and open himself to love. He had gotten married and had a daughter. And Mamoru knew from the king's recollections and even the look in his clouded eyes that he loved the girl. He loved someone wholly and without reservations, and he showed it to the world. Mamoru couldn't imagine doing that, but in some other lifetime, he had.

Of course, such a feat seemed to be dependent on loving Tsukino Usagi, and this was something Mamoru could not imagine.

"I'm here."

Mamoru whirled, surprised by Venus speaking. At first he thought she was offering him some comfort, but then he saw her pointing to a tiny symbol on the door. Mamoru was hardly an astronomy buff, but even he could recognize the symbol for her (he supposed) planet.

"Ah," he croaked. "Right."

"The guard said you're those double doors at the end of the hall, right?" Venus said. Mamoru was aware that she was being gentle with him, something he was unaccustomed to from her.

He nodded. "We sure are in close quarters, huh?"

Venus shrugged. "It makes sense if anyone broke into your rooms that your guards would be nearby."

Mamoru did not know how a fourteen-year-old girl had conditioned herself to think that way. "Of course."

She offered him an uneasy smile. "Besides, I wouldn't want to be isolated in this place. Would you?"

Mamoru glanced around at the crystalline vaulted ceilings, remembering how many corridors they had not gone down and how they seemed to disappear into the darkness. "I guess you're right." He took a deep breath, trying to settle the anxious gnawing in the pit of his stomach. "Well, good night."

"Mamoru."

He paused, looking over his shoulder. He noticed the sharpness of her jaw and thought he heard grinding teeth.

"Yes?" he prompted, seeing she was struggling.

"Thank you," she murmured finally. "I know that today… wasn't easy for you. Understatement of a lifetime, I know, but… I appreciate everything you did. Really. I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you."

Mamoru stared, wondering what it was costing her to say this. She had shown him nothing but willful pride every time aid had been offered, and far worse when she was obliged to accept. Now she was thanking him without prompting and seemingly without motive.

"Please say something," she added, chewing her lip.

He shook himself out of his reverie. "Right. Sorry. I… Well, I definitely wouldn't have made it without you either. So I'm grateful too. Obviously. I'm sorry if I didn't say that sooner."

Venus smiled fully, her lips widening to reveal straight teeth. She almost looked like the Minako he remembered, and he felt himself relax at this evidence that the girl he had known was still there, underneath the soldier who scared him so much. Though how he would ever reconcile the two disparaging personalities remained a mystery. "You're welcome."

"And you're welcome."

She nodded to him, silently expressing gratitude one last time before retreating behind her door.

Mamoru sighed, rubbing his brow. The girl was undoubtedly the most exhausting person he'd ever met, even more so than Usagi. He wasn't sure how to handle this change of mood and if this was an indication of things to come. Was every minute with her just another hill on her emotional roller coaster?

Or was it pity for all he had seen? Did she realize how much seeing this future and knowing of a lost daughter had shaken him? Or, no longer distracted by pain or the threat of violence, was she able to soften? Could she even consider forgiving him for the sin of forgetting?

Was this who she was when she wasn't fighting? Or was she less a split personality and more an amalgamation? Who would she be when she woke up?

He had no idea. All he could hope to do was lay down and sleep, praying for the dawn to usher in some relief. And perhaps in dreaming he could make sense of his life. In sleep, it was possible he could grasp the memories that supposedly eluded him. This, he knew, would be the first step towards sorting out this tangled existence he had fallen into.

Unfortunately, though he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, he didn't have a single dream.

-----

Meanwhile, after seeing to each of her Senshi in turn, Tsukino Usagi settled down in her new bed to sleep for what she hoped was hours. Tending to each of her friends had been exhausting on top of everything else. By the time she laid her head down, she had barely been able to keep her eyes open.

And once they closed, she dreamed endlessly.

She saw herself wearing one of the gowns in her new closet, iridescent fairy wings glittering at her back. She saw someone who she knew was Demando sitting at the other end of a long table, but it was not the prince she had met that day. This was not a man, but a monster – a beast. His shoulders were broad beyond possibility, and white and silver hair (or was it fur?) glinted where pale skin should have been. His canine teeth peeked out behind full lips like an animal's, and twin twisted horns protruded from his scalp. The only way she could recognize him were his eyes and his earrings, glittering violet and indigo like angry stars. Between them, the dishware danced and the silverware sang. A chipped teacup with Shingo's voice asked her to go home, but the weight hanging from her own ears tethered her to the table as effectively as a ball and chain.

She saw Makoto fighting. Her fists and legs shot out furiously, pale blurs against a dark background. Her friend clawed at the air. She spit; she tackled. She moved on and on, warring against the opponent as sweat poured off her brow. She never stopped, never let up, even as Usagi screamed to her that no one was there.

She saw Rei naked and surrounded by fire. The red and gold caressed her bare skin, warming where it should have burned. Not even her hair singed as it danced within the heat and flame. She simply stood there as the fire engulfed her. Usagi had no idea what she was doing until she noticed what Rei clutched in her shaking fists. Yuuichirou's broom, turning to ash.

She saw Ami surrounded by books. Hills and mountains and Everests of books, each with a title as unreadable as the last. Ami poured through each and every tome, wire-frame glasses perched on the end of her pert nose. She tossed each and every one aside, muttering to herself. Then she looked up at Usagi and confessed, "I don't know the answer." She had no eyes.

She saw Minako dressed as Sailor V, but it looked different. She had angel wings on her back, broken. One bent oddly, a portion hanging by threads of sinew. The other looked chewed to a pulp. Her back was to Usagi, her face hidden, but Usagi did see the red mask hanging from her fingers. It dripped blood onto the ground. She thought she heard Minako whisper something about being alone.

And she saw Mamoru. She saw him as Endymion fighting on her behalf. She saw him as Tuxedo Kamen, silhouetted by the light of the moon, standing tall as he came to her rescue. She saw the Tsukikage no Knight pulling the cloth away from his face, revealing that she had been right about him all along. She saw him as he was when he was evil, clutching the wound she had given him. She saw him newly healed and dying for her. She saw him reaching for her in the clutches of the Makaiju. She saw him as a lover, as a friend, as an enemy, as a rival, as an irritation, and a source of ecstasy.

But no matter how she saw him, he looked at her with eyes that did not recognize her.

She dreamed on and on, trapped in her visions and nightmares. All the while she slumbered, she remained unaware of the other presence in the room, pale as Mamoru was dark, eyes shining beneath his brow marked with the black moon.

He watched her without sleeping, but never once did he stop dreaming of the girl who lay before him. She who would become the white phoenix, the Neo-Queen.

She who would become his.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I think I have just barely managed to miss the year mark. I am so sorry! I would offer up my usual excuses, but I'll give you the truncated version: stressed and uninspired. Badda bing, badda boom.

But it is here, and I finally actually WANT to write fanfiction again as opposed to being obligated to do it. Let's hope this feeling lasts! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Hopefully there will be more to come sooner rather than later. ^_^

Thanks as always to my lovely beta, Yumeko, and all of the readers who review this story.

Coming Soon – Part Twelve: Bond


	13. Bond

Forgotten Forever  
Part Twelve: Bond  
by Kihin Ranno  
12/26  
R

Mamoru awoke without suffering from the early morning confusion of where he was; even asleep, he hadn't been able to distance himself from reality. Even without dreams, he had not been able to shake a lingering awareness of what was happening. He woke up thirsty and cold from a fading night sweat. He pulled at his collar and forced himself upright.

Lacking any urgent business and possessing a desire to avoid any, Mamoru looked at his surroundings. After leaving Venus the night before, Mamoru had simply groped his way to the bed in the dark and passed out. Surprisingly, he'd maneuvered his way past a canopy above a king-sized bed clad in pearlescent white. He gently squeezed the comforter, recognizing soft goose down. He'd fallen asleep on top of the covers and decided he'd wait to see if there were silk sheets.

Shaking his head, he pushed back the canopy. As soon as he had, he almost regretted it.

The large room spread out before him, and he realized it was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn't hurt himself. Several alcoves and doorways undoubtedly led to sitting areas, bathrooms, and the like, but he could explore those later. He was struck not only by the size of it, but in its emptiness. The crystalized walls were completely bare save for three paintings.

The first hung by the window balcony, and it was nothing he recognized. It was an odd piece for the bedroom, depressing and unreflective of either his or Usagi's tastes. The apocalyptic seascape depicted a large wave rising over a black beach. When he looked closer, he could see a miniscule figure standing at the center, arms outstretched. He or she clutched something like a scythe in one hand. He puzzled over its presence in the room until he saw the signature. Kaioh Michiru. One of the women who had been brutally slaughtered by Rubeus. He frowned and turned away.

The second was more familiar, though no more uplifting. It was the portrait Yumeno Yumemi had painted after asking Usagi and him to pose for it. He recognized every detail, right down to the locket she held in her hand, though he didn't know from where. Something tugged at the wisps of his lost memory. He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus, but after five minutes, he'd earned nothing more than a headache.

Once he'd cleared his head, he couldn't help but study the painting more closely. Had he ever looked at Usagi with that much softness? With that love in his eyes? Surely he must have the way Minako told it, but every time he considered it, he drew nothing but a cold blank. He had grown to think of Usagi as more of a friend rather than a nuisance over the past few weeks; he'd even begun to tease her less. Was that indicative of some emotion he hadn't acknowledged?

He studied the regal figure Usagi had inspired. Mamoru could neither ignore nor deny the devotion in her eyes. He couldn't look at it anymore.

The third hurt most of all. A childlike watercolor on plain paper in a simple frame of three figures standing in front of tall crystal spires. He recognized his future self in the lavender cape and the queen's fairy wings… but what he mostly cared about was the tiniest silhouette in the middle. She had cotton candy hair and big, bright eyes. The painter had given her the biggest smile.

His daughter. "Chibi-Usa," he murmured, brushing his fingertips over the rise and fall of her pigtails.

This whole experience numbed his mind. He had no idea if he'd make it out sane, much less alive.

"You know, I think you could fit my whole house in here. Well, what's left of it anyway."

Mamoru grinned ruefully, glancing over his shoulder. He wasn't too surprised to see Minako there, though he hadn't heard her come in. He breathed an internal sigh of relief to note that she was not in uniform. Apparently she'd raided her future self's closet and come up with some brightly colored mishmash of future fashion; at least he hoped that wasn't how it should look.

"Well, you know," he muttered. "King of the world."

"True," she nodded, tugging at her sleeves. "You been up long?"

Mamoru took a moment to reconcile this laid-back, collected Minako, with the militant hard ass he had been dealing with up to that point. And then he examined it again next to the boy crazy, ditzy Minako he and Motoki had spoken of a few days earlier. It occurred to him that there might be thousands of other Aino Minakos and Sailor Venuses he had not encountered yet. He found himself wishing he'd emphasized his studies in psychology; she was a case study on legs.

"I'll take that as a no," Minako muttered.

"Right, sorry," Mamoru grunted, pretending to rub sleep out of his eyes. "Not quite awake yet."

"Well, if you need help waking up," Minako said, flipping open a panel next to the front door he hadn't noticed before, "you can have anything short of a Bengal tiger delivered to your room, if you can figure out the right buttons. Coffee, tea, that sort of thing."

He raised an eyebrow. "Guess you've had some time to explore."

"Didn't get much sleep last night."

Mamoru knew the code language for nightmares and insomnia better than anyone. His mouth slid into what he hoped was a sympathetic grimace. "Sorry to hear that."

Minako shrugged off his concern. "No big deal. I had plenty of time to explore my room. Which probably means I've created some horrible time paradox or something." She paused. "Then again, the sail is probably already on that ship."

He frowned. "You mean that ship has sailed?"

"Isn't that what I said?"

Mamoru considered he might have to revise his previous theory about Minako: maybe she was just one person with an infinite amount of personality traits. But at least she wasn't threatening him.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, if you need help with any of the gadgets in here, let me know. Everything's hidden – I guess so everything looks appropriately stark and depressing."

He ran a hand down his face. "All I want now is a shower."

Minako snorted quietly. "Fifty buttons, and I am _so_ not helping you with that one."

"Wonderful," he groaned, raking his hands through his hair, which more or less resembled a grease pit. "If you hear screaming, send for help."

"What makes you think I'm staying here?"

"So you can snoop."

"Touché."

Mamoru stumbled in the direction he assumed the shower would be, catching sight of a smaller room that looked as though it was done entirely in marble. He paused, thinking he could at least ask Minako for some initial pointers without embarrassing them too much.

When he looked back, he saw her staring at the child's drawing with what might have been tears in her eyes.

He was probably smart enough to figure it out.

* * *

Despite her urgency after leaving Mars the day before, Cooan had not been able to do much regarding her misgivings. Information had to be gathered before she put anything into action, and even after acquiring a staggering amount, she'd still had to wait. There was only one person she trusted to discuss this with, and she was still in recovery.

Finally, Cooan got the permission she needed from Saffir to go see her sisters in the infirmary wing. She wasn't the least bit surprised to discover Beruche was wide awake and reading while Karaberas slept on.

"Did you know she talks in her sleep?" Beruche asked by way of greeting. "Actually, I think she has arguments with Petz judging by her tone. It's amazing I got any rest."

Cooan smiled, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She thought about embracing her sister, but thought better of it. They didn't really have that sort of relationship. "I'd ask you how you're feeling, but I don't want to be lectured about stupid questions."

Beruche sighed, twirling her fraying braid between her fingers. Cooan suspected this was to purposefully keep her from fingering the bandage around her neck. "I'm alive; I suppose I shouldn't be too picky about the particulars. Venus did cut the carotid; if Rubeus hadn't found me when he had…. Well, I don't care to think about it."

Neither did Cooan, though she didn't say. She also didn't tell Beruche how even after all the fighting, the memory of Beruche bleeding out in Rubeus's arms would be the memory from the war that haunted her the most. She had never seen that much blood, nor had she ever considered that any one of her sisters would shed it.

"They told me Venus and Endymion got away with Pluto's help," Beruche mentioned blithely. "Rubeus must have been… upset."

Cooan didn't miss the subtle insult. She took a deep breath, ignoring Beruche's obvious curiosity at her self-control. Cooan occupied herself by seeing to her sister's hair and began to comb through the matted braid. "I don't want to talk about Rubeus."

Beruche laughed so loudly it bordered on undignified. "By Nemesis, what happened while I was asleep?"

"It's not like I think about him all the time."

"Funny, I was under the impression that you actually did."

Cooan snarled quietly, provoking a cool smile from Beruche.

"That's the sister I know."

Cooan lightly scratched Beruche's scalp. "Shut up."

"Oh, fine," Beruche sighed. "You're obviously dying to talk about something; go ahead."

Cooan pursed her lips, trying to think of how to begin. "Doesn't this feel weird?"

"Actually, it feels quite good. Unless you're referring to something other than my hair. Specifics, sister."

Cooan rolled her eyes. "I meant the war. Revolution. Whatever this is."

To her credit, Beruche didn't needle her for still more detail. She at least pretended to consider her thoughts before she answered, "Time travel can be disconcerting for everyone. Wiseman warned us about that."

"That's not what I mean!"

"I can't read your mind, Cooan," Beruche snapped. "Either spit it out or focus on what you're doing."

Cooan had rehearsed nothing short of a hundred ways to broach this subject, and she'd come up with no solid conclusions. In the end, she decided it was best to be her usual graceless self and jump in.

"It's the Senshi. They don't feel right."

Beruche froze beneath her palms. Cooan didn't wait for her to ask for more information.

"Our whole lives we've been taught that the four Senshi were no better than monsters. That even when they were young they did horrible things… like how they killed that one general of the Dark Kingdom in front of his human lover. There are so many stories about their injustices in the 20th century, and this one, but… they're not right. Or maybe it's that they're not wrong enough."

Without missing a beat, Beruche yanked down her neck bandage, revealing the angry red scar that would mark her for the rest of her life. "You say the girl who did this to me is not a monster?"

Cooan knew Beruche had a solid defense in that respect. "Look, I'm not saying they're angels sent from on high, but I've been talking with Mars—"

"Oh, yes, the witch with psychic powers. It's not as though she could have manipulated you in any way."

"I'm not an idiot!" Cooan shouted, pulling away before she shook Beruche. "Despite what you and Petz and Karaberas might think, I'm not stupid enough to let myself be controlled like that. I would know if I were under some kind of spell.

"And look, she's a hot-headed bitch on wheels, just like I expected, but… she says things, and they just don't add up." Cooan screwed her eyes shut, trying to explain it. "It's not…. She asked me about Serenity or Sailor Moon or whatever the hell we're supposed to call her, but it wasn't like she felt obligated."

Beruche glared at her, utterly nonplussed. "Your point being?"

Cooan searched all of her human experience for the right comparison to make her sister understand. When she found the words, their simplicity was almost laughable.

"She was _worried_," Cooan breathed. "Like how Petz always pretends she isn't – exactly like Petz. She can't just come out and say it, so she threatens to tear buildings down until she gets her way. It's not about duty or station. Mars loves her."

It honestly hadn't occurred to Cooan before, but she knew it was true. Mars loved Sailor Moon. If a fiery war lord like Mars could love her, it stood to reason that the others did to… and that they were loved in return. And Cooan knew that if they really were monsters, it wouldn't be about love, not like the kind she'd seen.

The realization floored Cooan, and she was irritated when Beruche didn't react at all. "So?"

"Don't you get it? We've always been told that these girls were borderline sociopaths!"

"And you don't think people can change for the worse?"

"I think that history says they've always been this way," Cooan countered. "I did the research like I knew you'd want me to. I know you've been doing it for longer than I have. Tell I'm wrong."

Beruche's pale cheeks colored, but she did not drop her gaze. "You know perfectly well I only recently looked into—"

"It doesn't matter!" Cooan maintained, barely able to resist the urge to attack her sister for this complacency. "They all say the same thing: they've always been tyrants. I have yet to see one of those girls act like a tyrant. They're our enemies, obviously, but… don't you think there's even a little hope that we could stop all this? Just talk to them and see if we can fix this?"

Beruche stared at her now as if she was speaking a foreign language. Cooan realized too late that this entire exercise had been pointless. It had taken her days to even entertain the possibility; even Beruche couldn't get there this fast.

Her suspicions were proved when Beruche muttered. "And to think, you were the most eager to prove yourself on the battlefield to impress your little crush."

Cooan's cheek stung with the memory of Rubeus's slap. "Would you forget about that?"

"No, I won't," Beruche hissed coldly. "I won't forget anything except of course for this conversation."

Cooan physically deflated. "Beruche—"

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Beruche whispered hastily. "This borders on libel. On treason! If Prince Demando heard this, you'd be lucky to just get imprisonment."

"Because I'm asking a question?"

"Because you're suggesting that this entire enterprise is a sham! That we've been lied to since birth, and that we are not justified in our claims to Earth."

Cooan shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying at all."

"No, you just think that the Sailor Senshi are nice little children we can frolic with before the acid rains come down," Beruche mocked. "They sent us here. That should be proof enough of what they are."

Cooan's head swam. Beruche was right about so many things, but it didn't explain just as much. "I'm just confused."

"Of course you are," Beruche countered cruelly.

"Beruche—"

"As I said, this conversation never happened," Beruche interrupted. "You won't bring it up again, and neither will I. We never spoke; you never came here."

Cooan gaped at her sister. Her own sister would not give her an ounce of credit.

"Goodbye, Cooan," Beruche concluded, her voice chilling as a winter frost.

Cooan didn't bother to return the goodbye. Instead, she stomped out, trying and failing not to feel like a thwarted toddler.

Cooan had thought of all her sisters, Beruche would be the most sympathetic. Beruche would be the one she could trust.

She'd been naïve not to see it coming.

* * *

After Cooan left, Beruche immediately turned to Karaberas beside her. She studied the sleeping form with a careful eye, noting the rise and fall of her chest and the intermittent murmurings. She seemed utterly asleep, but one could never be sure, particularly with Karaberas. She leaned over and shook Karaberas as hard as she dared.

The brunette nearly leapt awake, which unfortunately proved nothing. "What the hell?"

"Were you asleep?" Beruche demanded, not bothering to dissemble.

Karaberas scowled. "Saffir gave you something. Clearly, you're high."

Beruche trembled with the effort it took to suppress an outburst. "I am under the influence of nothing. Answer the question: were you asleep?"

Karaberas nodded, clearly wary. "And having a lovely dream about setting Petz's childhood mementos on fire."

"How lovely," Beruche drawled.

"I thought so." Karaberas cracked her stiff wrists, arching an eyebrow. "What? Were you making the moves on Saffir and wanted to make sure there were no witnesses? I always thought you two would be better together, you know."

"I marvel daily that Petz hasn't murdered you."

"She probably does too."

Restless from her conversation with Cooan, Beruche threw the covers off her legs and rose. "I'm discharging myself. Let Saffir know if he asks."

"I'm sure I won't."

"Do as you like," Beruche hissed. All she wanted to do was walk to her quarters and hide from the rest of the palace, perhaps freezing a few droids out of spite. She wished she could marvel at Cooan's stupidity, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible. If anyone could find herself caught in Mars's twisted web, it would be Cooan. It was sheer luck that her little sister hadn't been burned yet. And now it was up to her to make sure Cooan stayed safe before she did anything else idiotic.

So caught up in her frenzied thoughts, Beruche did not feel Karaberas's eyes burning into her back.

* * *

When Mamoru emerged from the bathroom later, he was not surprised to find Minako still staring at the same picture. He couldn't blame her; he was already thinking of turning it to the wall.

He retreated to the bathroom again and made a point to loudly knock something off the counter. By the time he came back to the bedroom, Minako had repositioned herself in front of a closet he hadn't seen before. She hadn't been kidding about things being hidden in the walls.

"Do you know you still have that green jacket in here?" she asked, gesturing to the offending tweed.

Mamoru shrugged. "So? I like that jacket."

"We'd noticed," Minako deadpanned, pressing a button in yet another panel. At her command, the row of male clothes moved as if on a track, eventually revealing a plethora of gauzy dresses. She navigated it expertly, leaving Mamoru to wonder if she'd actually gotten any sleep the night before.

"Find anything interesting?" he asked, wandering forward.

"Is that code for, 'Did you find my future self's porn stash?'"

Mamoru choked loudly. This girl really was going to be the death of him.

Minako laughed uproariously, throwing her head back until her hair brushed the backs of her knees. "You should see your face!"

"I'm good."

She kept right on laughing, now leaning forward so she could clutch her sides. "No, it's priceless! I can't wait to tell—" All of a sudden, nothing was funny anymore. It didn't really matter who she was talking about; all her friends were in the same dangerous position.

Mamoru thought about reassuring her, but he decided against it. He wouldn't know where to begin, and anything he said would sound baseless and hollow.

Minako collected herself and then turned back to the wardrobe, nosing through Serenity's wardrobe of state. "You know, I think these all have wings on the back. Guess Usagi's designer is a fan of the symbolism."

Mamoru nodded in agreement. "Pretty heavy handed."

"Usagi probably wouldn't like it unless it was obvious," Minako explained. "Either that or she gets a kick out of playing dress up as a fairy queen."

Amazingly, it didn't sound insulting when she said it. Mamoru would have to ask her how she managed that some time.

Minako sighed and pushed a few more buttons. The closet vanished seamlessly into the crystalline walls. "No sense depressing ourselves," she muttered, which was probably as close as either of them would come to acknowledging their mutual loss.

"The sail is probably already on that ship," he repeated back.

She stuck her tongue out at him. It occurred to him that their interactions were bordering on normal. He wasn't sure how much he liked that, considering the circumstances.

"Any idea what we're supposed to do?" he asked, changing the subject.

Minako fiddled with her sleeves again, unsure. He realized on closer inspection that it was a little big on her. He pointedly did not examine where. "I haven't heard anything. I guess we should just sit tight until we're sent for by official royal decree."

Her tone was entirely too dramatic to suggest that this was what she actually wanted to do. It took him all of three seconds to guess her true desires.

"You want to explore the palace, don't you?"

"Oh, and you don't!" she retorted, caving immediately.

In reality, Mamoru was pretty ambivalent about it. He would have been content to brood for hours about his lost memories and the lost girls. But he could tell instantly that Minako was not built for that kind of behavior. She wanted a distraction, and she wouldn't want to be alone. She'd made that abundantly clear several times over.

"Fine," he grumbled, ignoring his inner Motoki needling him about how he always yielded to the requests of women, especially Rei, Usagi, and now Minako. "Can I at least get coffee? You mentioned coffee."

She produced a thermos from midair. "I'm told you take it black."

He arched an eyebrow, mildly impressed, and took it gratefully. "It pays to be the ruler of the free world." He took a sip of the brew, and lost himself in the bliss of a good cup of coffee. It was a dark blend, strong, with just a hint of chocolate undertones. It comforted him to know his tastes in beverages wouldn't change.

"Gross," Minako observed dryly. Mamoru hoped she was referring only to the coffee.

"Heavenly," Mamoru corrected. "Lead on."

He regretted the phrasing immediately when she gave him a sweeping bow. "Of course, _your majesty_."

Even if there were no other battles, monsters, or crying jags, it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Karaberas was the first to admit that she was not what one would call mellow. She was very particular about every aspect of her life: food, clothes, even who she would deign to speak to on a regular basis. Of her sisters, Petz was undoubtedly her least favorite. A consequence of being too alike and born too close together, some supposed. Karaberas generally didn't bother with her unless she felt like picking a fight, which was often.

"Petz."

It was a testament to how dire the situation seemed to Karaberas that she would come to her worst enemy in the Black Moon Clan for help.

Petz whirled away from her vanity, a premature scowl marring her sharp features. Karaberas noted the omnipresent fists, as well as the tension in her posture, and determined that she wasn't the first to grate her sister's nerves that day. Well, it wasn't a day that ended in 'y' if Petz wasn't angry about something. If Karaberas were to wait around for Petz to be in a good mood, she'd be asking Petz favors at her funeral.

"What do you want?" Petz snapped, visibly restraining herself from going on the offensive. Petz did like to pride herself on not attacking her siblings without cause.

Karaberas did her best to look grim without being openly hostile. "Petz, could we leave aside spitting like alley cats for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss." She stepped into the room, waving the door closed behind her.

Surprisingly, Petz didn't immediately harp on her rudeness. "I was unaware we had anything to talk about."

"Believe me, I wish we didn't," Karaberas informed her sharply. Her hands flexed as if tightening around her whip. She would have called it forth if she didn't think Petz would take it as an overture to a skirmish. She felt so much more comfortable with her weapon in her hands.

"Spit it out then," Petz muttered. "I'm in no mood for games."

"Something we can agree on," Karaberas deadpanned. "I certainly don't consider sedition a game, do you?"

Finally, she had her sister's attention. Petz narrowed her dark eyes, and at last, Karaberas believed she had the woman's full attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Cooan."

Petz bared her teeth. "What? Has she threatened Master Rubeus?"

Karaberas blanched. "No, of course not. She's still head over feet for him last I checked. Why would she go after him?"

The way Petz glanced away made Karaberas's hair stand on end. She immediately thought of the worst things Rubeus could have done. She started to panic when Petz threw her a lifeline. "He just hit her," Petz murmured, trying and failing to be reassuring. "It shook her up, but that's all he did."

Karaberas released a shaky breath. She wished she could be relieved, but if Cooan had managed to turn Rubeus against her…. Couple that with what Karaberas had overheard in the infirmary, and Cooan was in deeper than Karaberas had realized. "It had nothing to do with him, though I wonder if he 'helped' the situation along." She took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy on so many levels. "Cooan is… suggesting some things about the Sailor Senshi. Disturbing things."

Petz arched an eyebrow that wanted plucking. "Such as?"

"That we have been lied to by our leaders."

If it had been possible for Petz to be any paler, Karaberas was certain she would be at this news. Petz perched on the edge of her vanity and then, as if finally remembering Karaberas had just recovered from grave injuries, gestured for her to sit in a chair opposite. "Tell me everything."

Karaberas did. And she said it all standing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Beruche hadn't been able to get Cooan's words out of her mind either. As far as she knew, she had done everything possible to keep her baby sister from getting into more trouble, but Beruche knew there was more to be done. The problem happened to be that Beruche had no desire to do it.

Contrary to what Cooan had suggested, Beruche knew she was not a complete fool. A little naïve when it came to who to trust and who to fall in love with, but Beruche was also aware that the three Ayakashi sisters had done everything possible to shield Cooan from the brutality of Crimson Rubeus. If she were ever to face the true extent of his darkness, Beruche knew Cooan's opinion would change immediately.

This led Beruche to wonder just what Cooan had seen in Mars. Certainly it had been some sort of spiritual manipulation or perhaps a fair bit of acting, but still, it was necessary to be sure. Unfortunately, it wouldn't do much good for Beruche to go speaking to Mars. The two of them had rarely crossed paths in any time line. She had no way of gauging the red soldier's behavior, and she would not place herself in the danger Cooan had flaunted. Of all the Senshi, Mars was the most dangerous without her powers, and Beruche could not go in unprepared. It didn't help that Beruche had no patience for dealing with such a volatile personality. Perhaps she would have to face Mars directly in time, but, there was only one Sailor Senshi with whom Beruche was familiar. She saw no reason not to exploit the connection, however tenuous.

And so it was that the clan sister ended up at the door to Sailor Mercury's quarters. Beruche was not surprised to see the girl reading one of the books. No doubt the brain trust of the Sailor Senshi would be hard at work trying to find a way out of their prison, and the only way to do that was to gather information. There was no way for the ice soldier to know Beruche and Saffir had selected these tomes specifically because they would lend Mercury no aid. Perhaps she suspected it and would try anyway. Beruche was happy to let her pursue fruitless missions; it would keep her distracted from any real holes in security.

Unable to shake a lingering sense of propriety, Beruche rapped her knuckles against the wall. The girl looked up, a gesture that was sharp but not startled. Beruche nearly recoiled at the sight of the Black Moon's signature earrings dangling on either side of her head. They looked ill-fitting; something about the image disturbed Beruche in a way she could not adequately describe.

"I thought you might come by," Mercury observed, not bothering to mark her place as she set her book aside.

"Why is that?"

"Usagi mentioned that one of your sisters has taken in interest in Rei. Based on my observations, you all have some sort of stake in one of us. Considering you took me, it's not too difficult a leap to assume that you're a… counterpart of sorts."

"Of sorts," Beruche agreed, slipping languidly into the room. She took a seat at the chess table Demando had seen fit to provide, choosing the white side specifically. She selected a pawn with feigned nonchalance, twirled it between her fingers. "What do you think about good and evil?"

Mercury stared, but no one had ever accused the soldier of being slow. She rose and took her place by the black pieces. Folding her hands, she waited for Beruche's first move. "Considering the life I lead, I think on that quite a bit."

Pawn to E-4. "In a game of chess, there are two opponents. Black and white. The relationship between players is straightforward although the game is complex."

Mercury moved her pawn directly in front of Beruche's. "Are you suggesting that one player in chess is inherently evil?"

"Of course not," Beruche chastised, moving one of her bishops to C-4. "I'm saying that there are no pesky third parties to consider. No political complications or ulterior motives. There's one goal: checkmate."

Mercury studied the board for a moment. Beruche expected her to take a piece to punctuate her next point, but instead, she moved out one of her knights. "I'm not certain I even agree with your chess philosophy, but leaving that aside… it sounds as though you're asking me if I believe in shades of grey."

Beruche moved another pawn. "I suppose so."

"You know so," Mercury corrected, carefully considering her options. Beruche noted the deep line that formed between her brows; clearly Mercury was planning several moves ahead, and not just for the game. "If you'd asked me several months ago, I think I would have been inclined to put my faith in absolutes."

Beruche maneuvered her pieces so that both bishops were on the board; the second was now poised to take Mercury's knight. She wondered if Mercury would sacrifice the piece. "Not anymore?"

Without preamble, Mercury pushed out another pawn, leaving her knight undefended. "It wasn't that long ago that I first started being a Sailor Soldier, as I'm sure you're aware. When I started, it… seemed so obvious. People were being attacked; their energy being taken for purposes we couldn't imagine. How could people like that have any goodness in them?"

"Something changed your mind."

Ami nodded slowly. "Our first enemy, they… I suppose I was expecting the one-dimensional villains out of fairy stories. They always had simple motives: greed and jealousy, so often destroyed by their own hubris." Her dark blue gaze wandered away from the board. "No one expected them to be capable of love."

Beruche did not bother to hide her distaste. She took the black knight, and so the first piece fell.

"Never underestimate the power of innocence," Mercury cautioned, moving her queen into the field and paying the bishop back.

"I don't."

"It gets harder to… well, you would say justify our actions. I saw it as another challenge to saving the world. Our enemies were no caricatures. They loved and felt pain as we did." She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Perhaps more so, since it all began with love anyway."

Beruche frowned. That wasn't the version of the story she had heard. From her understanding, the people of Earth had rebelled against the tyranny of the Moon Kingdom in the past and been defeated by the wrath of the first Queen Serenity. The reawakening of the war in the 20th century had been an attempt to avenge that lost revolution, but the Princess had proved to be her mother's daughter.

By the tenth exchange, they both still had 15 pieces, and nearly all of the black pawns were in play. Beruche had reluctantly moved her queen forward one space, recognizing that there was nothing else she could do without putting more pieces into the line of fire.

"Looking back, I see how much of their ideology was just being misguided…" Mercury paused, delicately selecting one of her bishops and pushing it to E-6. "…by those in charge."

Beruche scowled; Mercury had clearly decided to play a long game. She refused to go on the offense and simply kept moving pieces, enabling strategies Beruche couldn't fathom. Beruche might have normally appreciated the complexity of the game, but not this time. She loathed it, the player, and the obvious implications of the soldier's words.

So she took the bishop with one of her own.

"Are you implying I'm being misguided?" Beruche demanded.

Mercury glanced down at the board. Instantly, Beruche realized her mistake: she'd allowed her bishop to be surrounded by pawns and even the queen. This time, Mercury did take her piece, but she did so with an air of apology, as if she'd expected better.

"I have no idea what you've been told, so it is unfair of me to speak to that," Mercury admitted. "But I know myself and I know my friends. We're not bad people."

Beruche scoffed. "You exiled my people to a… prison planet. An orbiting hell."

"And I've never been given an adequate explanation as to why," Ami challenged. "I can't imagine that we would take such extreme steps unless the situation warranted."

Beruche narrowed her eyes. Was this a story that she was meant to tell? Prince Demando had never explicitly forbidden it, and she had never heard this mentioned in the Wiseman's machinations. In fact, now that the prince had his much longed for princess, Beruche doubted there was much else he would care for. But more to the point, did she want to say anything? Why did this child deserve to know?

Mercury sighed, softening again. Beruche knew chess was often about manipulation of your opponent; yet the look in Mercury's seemed sincere. It grated. "I just want to know why you hate us so much. What could have merited such extreme actions on both sides?"

Beruche studied the board. They'd each had twenty turns, and what Beruche found most surprising was that they had both kept all of their pawns. Usually, they were the first thing Beruche sacrificed. Now she had yet to move five of them.

"Please," Mercury entreated. "Help me understand."

For whatever reason Beruche was certain of one thing: Mercury was sincere. She wanted to know what they had done. It finally occurred to Beruche that the knowledge might hurt them.

"Purity."

Mercury blinked, obviously not comprehending.

"Historical records on both sides confirm Neo-Queen Serenity was the first to awaken from the Great Ice, the calamity that destroyed human civilization one thousand years before. She used her power to literally change the landscape: melt the icecaps, shift continents, and release humanity from its natural prison. She had given birth to a world of refugees, and she and her soldiers offered aid. Even we acknowledge the good you did then, keeping everyone fed and warm.

"Slowly but surely, she used her crystal to construct a sprawling city large enough to contain all of Earth's survivors with plans to build satellite communities later. She gave everyone a home. She made everyone feel safe.

"And then she decided that it wasn't enough."

Throughout her monologue, Mercury and Beruche had continued to play, mainly moving their pieces into defensive positions. A white pawn could have easily taken the black queen, but Beruche resisted the temptation, moving a rook behind her line of pawns instead.

"What did she want to do?" Mercury asked, though the timbre of her voice suggested her suspicion.

Beruche looked directly into those deep blue eyes she had faced on the battlefield so many times before. For the first time, Mercury looked weak, and it was beautiful.

"She wanted to purify every citizen of Crystal Tokyo," Beruche explained, her voice quiet and cruel. "She wanted every person to live for a thousand years without illness or disease. She didn't want people; she wanted a city of angels.

"True, she offered the option to refuse, but those citizens would be forced into the satellite communities. Cities that would not be created by a magical crystal but built by the hands and sweat of its own citizens. People who would not have the benefit of eternal life.

"Needless to say, most people decided to allow her to burn the darkness from their soul. And then, no matter what Venus claimed in her press conferences, they weren't human anymore. Humans are flawed, fragile creatures. That's part of what makes us strong."

"Your ancestors didn't want to be purified," Mercury surmised, "but they didn't want to be denied opportunities either."

"As a result, we were branded and exiled. All the Black Moon Clan wants is to reclaim the Earth for her rightful descendants: humans."

Mercury's eyes watered, but her jaw stayed tight. "No. We would not have done that without cause. It wasn't simply that you disagreed. You did something."

"Yes. We fought back against a legislation that would have left us wandering the desert the wasteland had created."

Mercury remained insistent. "You didn't just quietly protest or picket. The Usagi I know would have tolerated and even encouraged it." Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if having worked out some great quandary. "Your ancestors weren't freedom fighters; they were terrorists. They had to be. It's the only explanation."

Beruche sniffed. "You and I both know that depends entirely on perspective."

"No, it doesn't," Mercury countered. "Terrorists use fear as a weapon by killing _innocent people_. That's what you did. So we did exile you, but it was mercy, what we did. We could have killed you, and we didn't."

"What you did was worse than death!"¬ Beruche shouted, slamming her (she knew) poorly chosen chess piece down for emphasis. "There's no plant life. We can't sustain any livestock because of poor conditions and terrain. We are dependent entirely on the Earth for sustenance, a further humiliation."

"And how are you doing now that you've made war with them?"

Beruche narrowed her eyes. She had been told that they were not in fact on Nemesis, but that she was meant to keep up the illusion that they were. A tactical reason had been cited, but Beruche knew as well as any analyst that certainly Demando had moved his sources closer to the food. An army would not fight if they were hungry, no matter how righteous the cause.

"We'll get by," Beruche answered.

"I wonder, did you adopt your family's method of warfare?" Mercury croaked, her body shaking with barely suppressed tears of rage. "Did you attack civilian targets? Did you kill innocent people?"

"Hardly," Beruche insisted. "They are neither innocent, nor people. What we do is righteous, and we shall prevail."

Mercury stared at her for a long while. The disgust she felt for Beruche and the Black Moon was evident in every facet of her posture, but there was something else. The way her small mouth curved down, the set of her eyebrows, the trembling fingers grasping her remaining rook. Mercury felt something other than revulsion.

Beruche didn't realize what it was until Mercury pushed the rook forward one space, trapping the white king.

"Checkmate."

Mercury pitied her.

"Now get out."

* * *

Stewardship over the planet of Nemesis had nothing to do with the will of the people, which was one of the few similarities it had with the Kingdom of Earth. Demando and Saffir's grandparents had started the revolution against Neo-Queen Serenity and had been recognized as leaders of the movement. After the exile to Nemesis, it had been a foregone conclusion that they would be in charge of caring for the people.

Granted, a White Moon representative had been sent along to "run" the country, but in reality, they oversaw trade exchanges and served as a watchdog for their majesties Serenity and Endymion. They had known better than to claim any authority, and this was what had kept them alive. For a while anyway.

Saffir had tried to make sense of this decision in their youth, when he had been more or less allowed to pursue his own research unsupervised. According to him, a revolutionary mentality would be far more likely to proceed with a republic or democracy. That they had pursued an absolute monarchy passed down through a single family seemed anathema to their natural proclivity for mistrusting the government. Demando's personal theory was that his grandparents had wished to force Neo-Queen Serenity to acknowledge the Nemesian leaders in title if not in actual stature. As far as he knew, it had worked. Correspondence records showed that Serenity had never been anything but courteous when addressing the previous leaders of Nemesis.

Demando would know better than anyone. He had watched all of the tapes on which she appeared, studying her every feature. It was nothing like seeing her in person, but he had been willing to make due.

Despite the archaic way Nemesis government was structured, it had always been standard practice to gather the opinions of their small community concerning how the planet was being run. Rebellion was in their blood, and it seemed like a prudent idea. Approval of Demando's handling of state affairs had always been high, naturally skyrocketing when he decided to take back the Earth. But long before that, people had always commented that despite his age, Demando was an adept statesman. Extremely intelligent, possessing an ability to place the right people in the right positions, and a fair hand. He was never accused of being lax or easily distracted.

Frankly, it was good that winning the war meant everyone loved him, for if anyone had been paying very close attention, Demando knew they would have had cause to criticize.

Pursuing the Rabbit in the past had been something the prince had delegated and rarely concerned himself with after issuing the order. It had been the Wiseman's suggestion, and Demando had seen no reason not to let the Wiseman oversee the project. Of course, they hadn't counted on the heir apparent to become lost in the annals of time, perhaps never to be recovered.

It had been on Demando's insistence that Rubeus and the Ayakashi sisters alter their primary objective. He had been adamant on capturing Sailor Moon and the rest of the Senshi. True, there were sound political reasons for it, but anyone close to him knew the real reason behind this plot.

Ever since then, Demando had been constantly distracted. How could he attend to even the most minor of affairs when his beloved roamed the halls? He wished he could know what she was doing. He wanted to know if she was happy, or at least getting used to her surroundings. He wanted to know if she was softening towards him. Every moment he spent locked in his throne seeing after the war was a moment spent away from her. He could hardly stand it.

"Prince Demando."

He looked up as if waking himself from a dream; he was certain this was at least the third time he'd been roused in such a manner. "Yes, Esmeraude. My apologies. You were saying?"

He had known Esmeraude since childhood, and so he recognized the signs of an oncoming tantrum. In her youth, Esmeraude would have happily ripped him from stem to stern. He studied her as she carefully swallowed whatever she wanted to screech. "We were discussing fuel allocations for the crystal ships, your highness."

Demando didn't miss the razor sharp hiss in his title; he let it pass unacknowledged. "There's a problem?"

The color Esmeraude's cheeks turned indicated that she'd probably already told him this. "Since you thought to leave the ships in the air as a scare tactic, yes, we are running low on fuel. Saffir is working to manufacture more, but it's difficult to do that, create more droids every day, and care for those in the infirmary."

Demando narrowed his eyes. "Beruche Ayakashi has some knowledge of chemical composition, does she not?"

Esmeraude pursed her lips. "As I have explained to you, Prince Demando, while Beruche is capable, she is not yet available. Saffir would prefer her to continue to rest until her wounds heal further. It shouldn't be more than a few days, but—"

"Then have Saffir get her once he feels she's prepared," Demando interrupted, carelessly, he knew. "In the meantime, pull half the ships back, but slowly. It's possible they won't notice a staggered retreat if the ships keep shifting position."

Esmeraude twisted her fan so hard it threatened to snap in two. "I suggested that ten minutes ago, and you said no."

Demando frowned. "Did I?"

Esmeraude let out an exhausted scream and turned her back on her prince. It was a deplorable lapse in protocol, but Demando had always been more lax with Esmeraude. "If you can't stop drooling over your precious little moon princess, why not go to her and stop wasting our time?" she yelled, vanishing a moment later.

Demando stared at the spot she had occupied. Then he glanced to where the Wiseman sat, gnarled hands constantly circling his dark orb, skin ever changing and face ever masked. "Am I so obvious?"

"Sire, you know Esmeraude is… easily agitated."

"Hmm."

"Perhaps she speaks truthfully."

It was times like this that Demando wished he could read the Wiseman with any accuracy. "How so?"

"As long as the future Neo-Queen resists your grace's affections, you're bound to be distracted. If I were in your position, I'm sure I would be similarly torn. Luckily, I have never found myself to be in such a predicament." He let out a dry chuckle that was almost a cough.

Demando nodded. "What would you suggest?"

"Perhaps, sire, as a purely temporary measure, you could cede some more responsibility to me regarding the war with the Earth Kingdom," Wiseman suggested. "Certainly this would not be permanent, and you naturally would still retain the power to undo my decisions. But seeing as your highness so often decides to take my advice, maybe you could grant me the authority to make direct commands. Then you could devote your time to… more personal pursuits."

Demando considered it. He deeply resented the idea of being told what to do, but Wiseman wasn't suggesting that at all. In fact, his advice seemed sound, as always. Decisions could be made with more speed with someone at the helm who could devote his full attention to the war. It would benefit the movement all around and leave Demando with the time he desired.

"Excellent suggestion, Wiseman," Demando announced, rising to his feet and addressing the few other occupants of the throne room, mostly hangers-on who would serve as swift messengers. "Until I say otherwise, Wiseman's word is law, and should be treated like a direct order from me. I'm certain he will continue to guide us towards victory."

He then swept out of the throne room to find the object of his desire, ignorant to the sound of the raspy laugh that followed in his wake.

* * *

In fact, Usagi was currently with Makoto, having spent some time with Ami skimming books for information about Nemesis and the Black Moon and far less time with Rei making awkward conversation. Usagi found it far more relaxing to be with Makoto, who for whatever reason had become fixated on Petz and the prince's brother.

"You're sure you haven't heard anything else?" Makoto demanded, throwing ingredients for her supper into a bowl. "I'm dying to know more!"

"It's not like I can gossip with the droids, Mako. They're so creepy." Usagi shuddered. "Besides, I don't get why you're so interested."

Makoto laughed, the first time any of them had done so since they arrived. It sounded jarring, almost forced. "Are you kidding? What else is there to do?"

"You're cooking."

"No, I'm throwing unidentifiable ingredients together and praying it turns out edible," Makoto corrected. She poured a bit of a purple looking spice into her hand and took an experiment lick. She wrinkled her nose. "Bitter again. Just like everything else."

"I wouldn't expect a lot of variety," Usagi murmured, remembering what Demando had said about Nemesis.

"There's lots of variation on bitter apparently," Makoto sighed, turning her back on the project for the time being. "Come on, aren't you the least bit curious?"

Usagi shook her head. "I'm more interested in getting away from here."

Makoto stuttered as if she'd committed some horrible social faux pas. "Oh, well… obviously, I just…. There's not a whole lot we can do, is there? I'm sure Ami's working on something, but really, I just have to hurry up and wait for her to tell me what to hit." She cracked her knuckles for emphasis. "And I think it's good to get your mind off things as best you can."

Of course Makoto was trying to cheer her up. It was a wasted effort though. Until Usagi was free of Demando and the rest of the Black Moon, she doubted she'd feel anything but fear and sadness. Still, she owed it to Makoto to make an effort. She smiled; her cheeks hurt immediately. "You're right. So why are you curious?"

Makoto beamed back at her, clearly relieved. Usagi struggled to keep her face on. "It just always seems… weird to me when our enemies are in love with each other."

"Why?"

"Well, they go around taking energy or kidnapping people or trying to kill us," Makoto pointed out. "Not exactly loving actions."

Usagi considered this. "I guess how they treat us doesn't really impact how they can feel about each other. Ail and Ann were in love."

Makoto snorted. "Those two had issues."

"Zoisite and Kunzite, too."

"Yeah, well… They were _different_, weren't they?'

Usagi frowned, tilting her head to the side. "How?"

Makoto blushed for no reason Usagi could determine. "Never mind."

"And then there was Nephrite."

Makoto straightened. "Nephrite…. He came right before Zoisite, right? I don't think you guys ever told me much about him."

Usagi glanced away, realizing she probably hadn't. It had been too hard to talk about after it happened. Even though Makoto had been involved in the fight where Naru had been forced to deal with her loss, she had never heard any of the backstory.

"He fell in love with Naru."

Makoto's eyes bugged out of her head. "What, Naru? Your Naru?"

Usagi nodded sadly. "He changed in the end somehow, I think because of her." She swallowed although her throat was dry. "He died for her."

Makoto's face fell. "Wow, I… I had no idea."

"I didn't like to talk about it."

Makoto clearly understood and didn't press for the gritty details. "So I guess maybe it isn't that weird after all."

Neither of them acknowledged that they purposefully left Beryl out of this discussion. Talking about Beryl meant talking about Mamoru. Usagi couldn't stop thinking about him, but she thought maybe not mentioning his name might make it hurt less.

"And then there's Petz and what-sit… Saffir," Makoto said, switching back to the previous topic before Usagi could get lost in her own thoughts, which was no doubt her aim. "She's kind of… well, awful. And I'm not just saying that because she beat me!"

Usagi tried to look as though she were convinced. "Of course not."

"Be nice to me, or I'll make you taste this," Makoto threatened, gesturing to her dinner. "I just mean that she seems harsher than the others."

Usagi couldn't stop herself smirking a little.

"What?" Makoto asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Usagi wished she'd been able to school her expressions better. Makoto wasn't likely to take her opinions well, but Usagi wasn't a good liar in the best of circumstances. She did her best to be kind as she said, "It's just… I think people would say the same thing about you, Mako."

Makoto stared, either floored or perplexed by the suggestion. Usagi was half-tempted to take it back when another person appeared in the room.

"Last room checked, naturally," Demando said smoothly, his cape fluttering around him as he finished his teleportation.

Usagi immediately got to her feet, adrenaline pumping. She had no idea if she intended to flee or throw herself bodily between Makoto and Demando. Certainly, Makoto had similar ideas, though she probably wanted to throw herself bodily _at_ Demando. The brunette had moved away from the kitchenette in her quarters, hands reflexively curling into fists. "What are you doing here?"

Demando stared at Makoto as if she had spoken another language. Usagi tried to speak up to hush Makoto, but she couldn't get her voice to work.

"Sere—Usagi and I have an arrangement," Demando replied, unruffled. "It is nearing dinner time, which is when she is required to spend time with me."

Makoto flushed and began to stalk forward. "She doesn't have to do anything, you—"

"Mako!" Usagi shouted, stumbling forward. "Stop!"

"Actually, it is a condition of your safety that she does what I say," Demando said, still unperturbed. "I think I've been more than reasonable."

"You kidnapped us!" Makoto snarled.

"Mako, please," Usagi pleaded.

"No!" Makoto insisted. "I don't care what happens to me. You know that. Don't do what he tells you. I know the others agree."

Usagi clenched her jaw to suppress the urge to cry. Rei had told her she'd done too much of it lately, and it had done her no good. She took a deep breath and grasped Makoto's arms, gently guiding her away from Demando. Makoto's face swam in Usagi's watering eyes, but she kept blinking them back, willing herself to stay in control.

"Maybe you don't care what happens to you," Usagi whispered, "but I do. So please, just… calm down. I'll be all right. I promise."

Makoto shook with the impulse to defend her. "This isn't right. None of this is right."

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Usagi's head. It wasn't often that she had ideas, let alone good ones, but she was willing to take a risk on this one.

"Do you remember what we just talked about? About Naru?"

Makoto frowned, clearly confused, but she nodded in assent eventually.

"Remember that," Usagi instructed. "Maybe then you'll understand."

Usagi continued to hold Makoto's forearms until she saw comprehension begin to dawn. Makoto glanced over at the Black Moon Prince quizzically, sizing him up in a way she hadn't done before. "Really?" she murmured, unconvinced.

Usagi had absolutely no idea.

"I'll try," she promised. Then she embraced her friend, holding on to her for strictly longer than necessary. At last she pulled away, then she turned to look at Demando.

She was surprised to find that he'd looked away, as if giving them privacy. He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable, and said, "I'll give you a few moments to… dress yourself for dinner. A droid will escort you." Then he vanished again.

Makoto bristled. "Why didn't he do that in the first place instead of barging in?"

Usagi sagged. "He probably missed me."

Makoto looked revolted. Then she clasped Usagi's hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. "Do you honestly think that you can change him?"

"I don't see that I have much choice," Usagi murmured, sounding more defeated than she intended.

Makoto didn't look comforted, and Usagi regretted that. Still, she flashed a confident smile. "Good luck."

Neither of them spoke the unmistakable caveat: Usagi was going to need it.

* * *

The whole of the Black Moon Clan knew to stay out of Esmeraude's rage during one of her moods. As those had become more and more frequent after Sailor Moon had become the center of the rebellion plan, she spent more time than ever on her own. Now she paced up and down a hallway almost universally abandoned for her tempers. It made Esmeraude feel both powerful and utterly helpless to hear her rage echoing along the vaulted ceilings.

All her life, she had served Prince Demando and his family. Her father had been the closest advisor to the former Queen, and it had always been expected that she would inherit the position. And for a time, she had.

She'd almost been happy then. True, it wasn't what she really wanted; Demando ignored her romantic overtures and stuck strictly to business, but at least she was close to him. At least he _listened_ to her.

Everything had changed with the coming of the Wiseman. He had taken over Esmeraude's title. It infuriated her at first, but even she had to admit, his advice was always sound. Thanks to his influence and power, they had been able to mount the attack against the Earth.

Frankly, the loss of position didn't bother her so much as the loss of attention. Now when she spoke to Demando, she was lucky if he even pretended to take her into account. It wasn't personal, she realized. The same could be said for every courtier. But Esmeraude felt she was entitled above all to resent her demotion not in his court but in his heart.

She loved him. She had always loved him. As a little girl, she'd entertained fantasies of one day marrying him and becoming Queen of Nemesis, a dream he perpetuated by agreeing to her games in their youth. He played the husband, she the wife, and Saffir their petulant child. She'd begun to think of it as an inevitability.

Then Neo-Queen Serenity had to ruin it all.

Esmeraude growled, squashing the urge to release a surge of power against a nearby wall. The nerve of that woman! Coming to Nemesis under the guise of helping them had been insulting enough. Everyone knew it had been a warning to remain complacent little prisoners, but she had perpetuated the illusion, smiling like an insipid child and promising things she never delivered.

She'd done even worse than that. She'd made Demando fall in love with her. Demando, who had rightfully belonged to Esmeraude.

Demando's presentation of the flowers had been concocted by her own father as a political gambit. Wouldn't it be so pathetic to have the crown prince offer the illustrious queen a such a humble gift? A reminder that these were the only treasures to be had on Nemesis, and they had indeed been precious. Esmeraude hadn't seen flowers thrive since then.

It had been Demando's own stupid fault that he timed it wrong and made it seem like he was going to attack. Esmeraude had been so afraid for him as the Sailor Senshi attacked. He'd looked so small. She was sure he was going to die.

He'd lived. It had been the Neo-Queen's wish. Her supposed show of kindness had marked the moment when Demando had fallen in love with her.

It was also the moment Esmeraude vowed to kill the bitch.

Demando's infatuation was sickening. Didn't he see how he was being played? She'd done it all on purpose! Saved him from certain peril, smiled at him just so. She'd been courting him! Her husband the king had stood by and watched as he was cuckolded by a little boy. But of course he allowed it. Who would dare to cross Serenity? Who would risk life and limb to stand up for insignificant dignity?

Serenity was not only a tyrant, but a perversion. She had snaked her way into Demando's heart and mind and changed him utterly. He had never spoken another word against her, and after that day, he never pretended to be Esmeraude's husband.

She had lost him to an angel-queen. And now she had to stand by and watch as she was doubly humiliated. She had to lose him to a little girl.

Esmeraude let out another howl of frustration and whirled, preparing to kick whatever came in her path. She stumbled, seeing that she was no longer alone.

Rubeus applauded slowly. "Your histrionics are amusing as ever, Esmeraude."

Esmeraude's face burned. She hated looking weak in front of Rubeus even more than Demando. Rubeus, after all, would have no problems exploiting it. "Go to hell."

He chuckled at that, leaning against the wall. The day before, he had compared himself to a tiger, and much as she hated to admit it, the comparison was apt. That is, if the tiger was a psychopath. "You came to see me first, remember? I'm simply returning the visit."

She laughed, flipping her hair for emphasis. "More like you want the details on my offer."

"Was there an offer? Here I'd thought you were just passing on information."

"And since you're not off committing genocide somewhere, I suppose you've heard that the mission was a failure," Esmeraude purred. "So you can still have your vengeance on the latest in a long line of women who have disrespected you." She stopped, giggling. "Oh, how I would have liked to see her get the better of you. Actually, I'd like to be front row and center any time any woman hurts you, regardless of what side she's on. It is so satisfying to see you weak."

He snarled and lunged for her, but she teleported away before he'd even processed the insult. She now hovered near the ceiling, laughter echoing throughout the corridor. "Honestly, Rubeus. Temper."

Rubeus glanced up at her, grinning. He looked almost manic. "How long do you suppose, Esmeraude, Demando's protection will mean something now that his one true love is in residence?"

This time, Esmeraude didn't resist the urge to attack. Naturally, he'd vanished by the time it hit, leaving a nasty gouge in the wall.

Now he was laughing, and she would have given anything to rip that smile off his face.

"Quiet!" Esmeraude bristled. "Demando would never let anything happen to me!"

Rubeus shrugged from where he now hovered some twenty feet away from her. "From what I understand, the prince doesn't even listen when you talk. Too busy picturing himself between Serenity's legs, no doubt."

Esmeraude's grip on her fan tightened. She liked to pretend it was that little princess's neck. "Watch your tongue!"

Rubeus still laughed, blithely ignoring her threats. "Yes, however will I survive if Demando's bitch runs off her leash?"

She shrieked and attacked again. She managed to destroy a few light sources, but Rubeus had evaded her once again.

"Can we stop this now, Esmeraude?" Rubeus asked, his voice hissing in her ear.

Her body jerked, instinctively wanting to spin around. She kept still only because he would have known her quick reactions were a sign of fear. She willed her body to relax. "Fine."

Esmeraude could not help but be hyper aware of Rubeus's position in relation to hers. He was very carefully not touching her, but he was close enough that she could feel his body heat. His proximity made her skin crawl. "Yesterday, you implied that you wanted me to do something for you," he murmured. "You and I both know I don't do favors out of the kindness of my heart."

She swallowed, fighting her nausea. "Don't you even want to know what the favor is?"

"I can guess."

Yes, he certainly could.

"You can't kill her," Esmeraude instructed brusquely. "I'd like it if you did, but Demando wouldn't rest until he found the culprit. And let's face it, you and I have … reputations. It would be too easy to trace it back to us."

He snorted at her understatement. "Whatever shall I do, then?"

"Frankly, I'd like you to… ruin her," Esmeraude hissed, refusing to be explicit even now. "But it can't be done. She's too well guarded."

"You think I can't handle a few droids?" Rubeus asked, affronted. "But no, I have no interest in being executed for defiling our future queen."

Tears pricked at Esmeraude's eyes; she was glad he couldn't see them. How easily he mocked her dream.

"So what is it exactly that you want to do?"

Esmeraude took a deep breath to steady herself. She could not let him hear her voice shake. "If you can't ruin the girl, ruin Demando's chances with her. He'd probably manage it left to his own devices. The girl's as skittish as a rabbit in a thunderstorm. Still, I can't leave it to chance."

Rubeus groaned. "You're asking me to be political."

"I'm not thrilled with it either," Esmeraude assured him. "You're as deft a courtier as a bull. Unfortunately, Saffir's too loyal to his brother to meddle. Any of your pets would do, but I won't trust any of the sisters with this; they're too liable to get wrapped up in their own dramas. That leaves you." Neither of them acknowledged why Esmeraude could not do this herself: if she wished to benefit from her schemes, she could not be directly involved in them.

"So I'm supposed to do something I hate, which I'm liable to be punished for," Rubeus deadpanned.

Esmeraude waved away his concern. "This will hardly touch you. People assume you're duller than you are; they'll think you made a mistake. A few days in a cell, nothing more."

In reality, Esmeraude doubted the prince would be so light with Rubeus if it truly did mean Serenity would not have him. She'd consider that a fringe benefit to the operation. The war might benefit from his cruelty in the long run, but she personally thought he was better off dead.

Rubeus leaned in closer. His breath stank against her flesh. "And what do I get in return?"

She managed to suppress her shudder by finally turning around. She looked him dead in the eye and convinced herself there was nothing to be afraid of.

"I'll struggle when you fuck me."

Rubeus studied her, presumably measuring her resolve, though she didn't doubt he measured a few other things as well. She prayed for the day when she could claw his eyes out.

He smiled at her, canines sharp and gleaming. "You've got yourself a deal."

Esmeraude swallowed down the bile creeping up her throat. "You'd better make it worth it."

* * *

Demando made a tactical retreat to the dining room after leaving _Usagi_ (the name still left a sickening taste in his mouth, like Nemesian moonshine) alone with Jupiter. Part of him bristled at acceding to her unspoken desires. He was the prince of the planet and supposedly answered to no one, but in reality, he was beginning to answer to her. She'd clearly been uncomfortable, and he'd given her space.

Saffir had told him to go gently with her, to be patient. This was the best he could do. He hoped it was enough.

It did not surprise Demando when she reappeared before him a short time later. If there was one thing he had always known about his white phoenix, it is the strength of her love. She loved her friends with passion that blazed. She would do whatever he wanted to keep them safe, no matter the cost.

And yes, he remembered, watching her pulse quicken against her throat, she loved _him_ too - the prince of a dead realm and future king of Earth. Demando could never forget that, though he could try to erase it from her memory. Even if he could change her mind, he would always know that she didn't love him first.

But no matter. Life on Nemesis had not made him terribly particular.

He strode forward to save her from standing awkwardly at the doorway for any longer. He caught her wrist and felt her begin to pull away. He regretted frightening her. He had not had her youth in mind and credited her with too much strength. So he took care to be gentle as he raised her smooth fingers to his mouth, brushing his lips over her knuckles with the softness of a falling blossom.

She shivered. He allowed himself the illusion that it was from pleasure.

"You look beautiful... Usagi." He spoke her name with enough care that the word may as well have been cracking porcelain.

She glanced down at her gown. She had changed from a relatively casual frock into something more elegant, no doubt with some verbal assistance from Jupiter. It was dusky rose in color, covered with crushed, shining stones. As always, a pair of fabric wings hung from her back, these made out of white and pink taffeta. "Rei would probably think I look like a little girl playing dress up."

He arched an eyebrow. "That's Mars, isn't it? For her that's almost kind."

Her lips twitched as though she might smile, but the impulse faded. Probably she had remembered how easy it was for him to kill her if he so wished.

So much to regret. He had fallen in love with the Neo-Queen for her kindness, but he desired her most when she defied him. How could this slip of a girl compare to the woman she was meant to become?

Would he have the forbearance to wait?

As she picked up her long dress and made her way towards a seat, he knew that he had no choice. He would have to bide his time until she had the wherewithal to defy him, the spirit to do battle with him. He would have her now as she is, making do. It was, after all, better than the shell sleeping in the glass coffin.

It never occurred to him that he might not get what he wanted.

"Allow me," he offered, pulling out her chair.

She gave him the strangest look. Absurdly, he wondered if she's never been shown such courtesy. "Um... Thank you."

He bowed and then swept to the other side of their small table. Tradition would dictate that they sit at opposite ends of an interminably lengthy table, but he selected something round and far more intimate. She ran a finger over the smooth edge of the obsidian top. He hoped it pleased her.

"Everything is so dark here," she whispered. A second later she looked mortified. "I mean-"

"Don't apologize, S-Usagi. Nemesis is the tenth planet, far away from any star. It's in our nature to favor the dark and cold."

She picked up a utensil fashioned from a gem darker than emerald. "If I were in such a black place, I think I'd want that much more color."

Demando shook his head. "For us, it would serve as a reminder of what we don't have."

She colored again, embarrassed at the faux pas, and hastily dropped the fork. "Oh."

They sat in silence for a moment as a pair of droids appeared from the kitchen. They served dinner (living on Nemesis had not acclimated Demando's appetite for multiple courses, and he saw no reason to change this) and poured a merlot he had favored since a raiding party had taken it from a Tokyo winery some weeks before. Usagi tried to decline the drink, but serving droids were not intelligent enough to accede to such instructions. Then she glanced down at the food in front of her. If she had been hoping to see her desired color there, she was no doubt sorely disappointed.

He sipped his wine so that he could have an excuse for the quiet, while she continued to fiddle with her dress, her food, her place settings, and the earrings he commanded her to wear. After five minutes, he lowered his glass with a loud clatter. She jumped.

"Is this how it's going to be?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

Usagi considered the question. He appreciated her hesitancy. "You scared me," she admitted, and he was not foolish enough to think she referred to the plates.

She may not have been the fierce warrior queen, but she was delightfully candid. "I am sorry for that."

"You are?" she asked, obviously shocked by the revelation. "You hadn't said."

His lips curled into a slow smile. "I am not accustomed to making apologies."

Usagi looked utterly befuddled, as if she could not think of why that would be. He found it charming.

"Why did you act like that?" she asked, her voice small. She bunched up the jeweled fabric of her skirts in her fists. "Why did you have to be...? It was cruel, threatening me."

"It was," he conceded. "Unfortunately, darling girl, I am a rather cruel man."

Demando expected her to be frightened by this confession of his. If anything, she looked bemused. "Why?"

The simplicity of her thoughts, the total lack of guile... she truly was a fascinating creature. He was beginning to think that perhaps sacrificing a vengeful siren would not be so bad as long as Usagi was his reward.

He suddenly remembered a fairy tale his mother told him from the days of Earth. A boy climbed a tree into the heavens to steal from a giant. While there, he saw a beautiful songbird trapped within a cage, for her song was the only thing that made the giant happy. But the boy released the bird and the giant threw himself to Earth in despair.

Demando hated that story.

"In order to survive here," he explained, "one has to be cruel."

She wrinkled her nose, appalled. "I don't like that."

He chuckled, raising his wine again. "No, I didn't expect you would."

"Everything works better when people are kind to each other," she explained, her voice wistful. "Everyone's happier, and when people are happy, they're... well, they're at their best. Why is it so hard to be kind?"

"When you have very little, as we do, there is not much cause to be kind. We scrape for what we can to survive. Damn all the rest."

Usagi looked at him with the saddest eyes he's ever seen, and it shook him to his core. He had never been pitied. How could he have been? Everyone he had ever known envied him for his status. They'd loathed him, revered him, perhaps even loved him. He did not know what to make of her sympathy. He nearly choked.

"That's horrible," she whispered with alarming sincerity.

He shook his head, trying to compose himself. "That's Nemesis."

Her fingers reached for her neck, pulling at a necklace he hadn't noticed before. He could she tell disliked its weight. "You say… I've been told that I sent you here."

Demando glanced to where a window might have been placed if he had allowed them in the construction of this place. If they had indeed been on Nemesis, he would have hated to show her how desolate the landscape truly was. He was glad that now he had to shield her from discovering they were not on Nemesis at all. "I do not believe it was your decision, but yes. Your kingdom sent us."

"I can't imagine... myself doing that."

"It was your husband, your guardians." His voice was like a pinprick shoved deep into the skin.

For a moment, Usagi looked utterly lost, as if she could hardly remember where, or perhaps, when she was. Then she spoke, an unmistakable quaver wafting across the table. "I... I can't believe they would do it either."

His temper began to fray, and though he struggled to keep it in check, he could not keep his hands from shaking. "Really. You cannot believe it of Jupiter, whose strength and brutality is so well-known that children claim she hides under their beds at night to punish them for misbehaving? Of Mercury, whose logic is like a razorblade masked with false kindness, who created a thousand weapons to destroy us under the guise of protecting your city? Of Mars, who is cruel even to you, though she claims to do it out of love?" He waited a beat, knowing his last point shall be a grand finale of sorts. "Of Venus, whose crime is so great you cannot even look upon her?"

She hid her eyes from him throughout his speech. When she lifted them again, he expected to see her crying. Demando was both shocked and aroused by her unexpected anger.

"You don't know them," she hissed, straightening her back boldly. "You don't know them at all if that's what you think of them. I wouldn't love them if what you said was true."

His mouth dried. "You do... love them. And so you are blind."

"You're the one who's blind!" she shouted, driven to passion so ardent she leapt to her feet. His blood rushed at the sight of it. This was what he wanted. This was the defiance he longed for, but still, this was not what he wanted. Not at all. "They're good people! We're all _good_ people! Even Venus." This time, it is she who pauses for effect. "Even Mamoru."

The wine glass shattered in his hand. This time, his rage was not like a volcano. It was a snake in the grass. "I told you: never say his name to me."

He saw the spark of fear in her eyes, but she had gone too far to stop now. He could sense her changing right in front of him. Meek no longer, she had grown willful to rise to the defense of her friends. Her loved ones.

Her loved one.

"I can't stand to listen to you blaming them anymore," Usagi yelled, circling the table. "Do you think I don't see how all your people look at me? They're blaming me for something I haven't done yet, something I refuse to believe I would let happen. I can't imagine even being queen, but if I was one, I know I would love _all_ of my people. I wouldn't send them to such a dangerous, awful place with no sun or color or flowers. I wouldn't let my subjects die for want of care or shelter."

She laid her fingertips against his forehead. Her skin was cool, but it felt like she was pushing a coal between his eyes.

"I would never brand them."

For a staggering minute, Demando could not move. His mind was a hurricane with no calm center. A thousand thoughts and sensations swirled through him. She challenged him, which he had longed for, but on all the wrong things. He desperately wanted her to acknowledge the corruption of those closest to her, but she refused to see it. Instead she defended them, and in effect threw all of his people's suffering back in his face.

And worse still, she had touched him. He had craved the feel of her hands for a decade or more, and now when she finally did, it was out of anger.

Though, he hated to admit it, this didn't matter to his body. It still responded with a desire to take her. The self-control he exercised in not pulling her to him made him sweat.

Finally, Demando circled her wrist and pulled her hand away, shaking. She stared at her appendage in shock, as if wondering how it got there. Then all her righteous indignation faded, realizing that she was close to him, that she had disobeyed him, that she had placed her life and her friends' lives in danger for pride.

"I... I didn't mean-"

"You did mean," he whispered, his voice a cobweb. "I think it's best if we dine separately this evening."

Usagi didn't wait for him to say another word. She fled, running from him and probably directly into the arms of one of her friends. Would she go to Mercury to soothe her conscience, or Mars to commiserate in antagonism? Or will she merely incite Jupiter against him once more? And what, he wondered, would she go to Venus for, if she could?

Demando did not have to ask what she would gain from a visit with _him_.

No doubt she feared for their lives, and she would have been right to under normal circumstances. She could not possibly know how she had changed things for him. For both of them.

It had not occurred to him that lurking beneath frightened exterior, something ferocious lurked. She had a fire all her own that burned brighter than a super nova. She had hidden it well, probably without meaning to, but now he had seen it and he could not un-see it. Nor would he have wanted to.

For the first time, Demando knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that this girl was the past incarnate of the Neo-Queen. And she was more than a phoenix or an angel.

She was a goddess. Enduring and powerful and awe-inspiring.

He knew what happened to men who fell in love with gods. They always met unhappy ends. Demando knew now that she would be his ruin. He was Icarus, flying too close to her sun.

But Demando knew that if he could talk with Icarus, the boy would not regret Apollo's gift of wax wings. Just like Demando would not have traded anything for the look in her eyes or the touch of her hand.

He was not likely to survive this love, but love her he would. And as he lay dying, he would no doubt remember this encounter. He would cherish it in his heart, as she no doubt cherished roses in December. And though he did not relish the thought of giving up this life, Serenity - _Usagi_ - would make it worthwhile.

He would go quietly into the dark for this one blazing moment of burning light. He would regret nothing.

* * *

Surprisingly, spending the day with Mamoru had not been as awkward as Minako would have anticipated. For one thing, he seemed to be just as willing as her to forget about most of what had happened between them. To say that she'd behaved badly was probably an understatement.

She knew logically that it wasn't technically his fault that he couldn't remember being Tuxedo Kamen. She'd decided to be honest with herself while she couldn't sleep the night before, painful as it had been. She could admit now that she'd been looking for a scapegoat when really, there was no one to blame.

It didn't mean her opinion of Mamoru personally had changed. She still thought he was unnecessarily mean to Usagi, who was so clearly devoted to him. She thought he had zero common sense despite being a certified genius. She also had no patience for his arrogance, though recent events had humbled him for at least the time being.

Still, wandering around the palace (and getting lost no less than fifteen times) hadn't been all bad. Mamoru definitely had a better sense of direction that she did, which was handy. He could also be funny sometimes. But more than anything, she could tell he was trying.

Minako liked to consider herself a pretty good judge of people, at least when she didn't have crushes on them. Since there was no danger of that where Mamoru was concerned, it was pretty easy for her to guess that if left to his own devices, Mamoru would have been happy to stay in his room and wallow. The only reason he wasn't was because she'd all but asked him to come with her.

She knew she would have gone crazy if left to dwell on what might be happening to Usagi and the other girls. What she imagined would either have been worse than reality or right on the money, but she doubted she would be overreacting. She couldn't stand not being able to do anything, but in fact, there was nothing she could do. As it stood, she had exactly one person to help her get everyone out. From what she could tell, Endymion couldn't waste military resources on the operation because they were needed to defend what was left of the city. Pluto was likely unable to step away from the Time Gate.

That left Mamoru. A resource which would have been valuable if only he had his memory. As it stood, she had no idea what to do with him, if anything. So maybe she was on her own after all.

She shuddered before she could prevent it. Mamoru noticed but didn't remark upon it. Then he glanced forward and blanched, throwing a hand out in front of her path to stop her. Quick reflexes brought her to a halt, but it took her a moment to realize what he was staring at.

Less than five feet in front of her stood a shimmering barrier of light. The sun was setting on what had been an overcast day to begin with, but even still, she could detect the faintest hint of color. Gold.

It was her section of the city-wide shield. Or rather, her future self's.

"Do you… feel anything?" Mamoru asked quietly, almost reverently.

Minako shook her head. "I'm not sure I even noticed we were outside."

He probably would have rolled his eyes at her any other time. "Don't you think that's strange? That you're not like… psychically picking up on something?"

"I'm not as attuned as Rei is," Minako admitted. "Probably if I concentrated or was transformed, I'd feel some… kinship. Honestly, I don't want to go looking for that sort of thing. I don't know what would happen on her… my end."

Mamoru paled slightly and glanced up at the enemy ships that hovered just beyond the wall. "Definitely not," he agreed.

Minako frowned, knowing she was about to push it, but it wouldn't be like her to let lies sleep like dogs. "What about you?"

To his credit, though his back straightened, he didn't seem outwardly offended. "I wish I did."

She remembered telling him the night before that they had to stick together because they were the only two people from the past in the palace. It dawned on her that there were more similarities than that. Mamoru felt just as helpless as she did, perhaps more so, since he could not envision himself being at all useful in the retrieval of their friends. Even a Mamoru without his memories would have wanted to help. He'd tried to save Usagi when the Makaiju had been in the throes of agony. No matter what he felt about her, no matter how he tormented her, he always tried to save her.

Minako looked away from him. "I know."

Suddenly, Minako knew that they were not alone. Senses always on high alert, she turned around, reaching for her henshin wand and preparing to attack. She stopped short when she recognized her companion's silhouette, translucent and garbed in violet.

"King Endymion," Mamoru murmured, clearly having elected to think of his future self as a separate entity for his own sanity.

"I have good news," the king announced, not bothering with niceties.

Minako's heart leapt. "Have you figured out a way to get the others back?"

"Not precisely," Endymion said with genuine regret. Minako felt her spirits begin to slip as the king continued. "But I may be able to get us one step closer."

"How?" Mamoru asked, always keen to know specifics.

Endymion turned his gaze towards the boy of his past. Even as a ghost, his eyes were hard as steel, and before he spoke, Minako knew what he was going to say.

"I think I know how to get your memories back."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I've decided it's best just to bypass the excuses, but I will say that I am feeling confident that I can write and update regularly again, so hopefully there won't be year-long gaps between updates anymore.

First of all, I recently discovered a continuity fail on my part. In an earlier chapter, Karaberas suggested that the Black Moon's exile to Nemesis happened while Petz was a small child, while in the Interlude, I suggested they'd been there for several generations. It doesn't affect much in the grand scheme of the story, but I hatehatehate plot holes and things like that, so I'll be fixing that shortly. For the record, the 'real' story is that Demando and company are second generation naturalized citizens. So basically, their grandparents were part of the initial revolution, were exiled, had their parents, and their parents had them. Sorry, guys; I've got a lot of plot threads going, and it's easy to lose track.

So, yes, I will be going back and fixing this problem and probably punching up the chapters a little. When I go back and reread things, I'm often struck by things I could have done better. Don't worry, nothing major will change, but when you go back and reread (if you bother to do so, lol), hopefully you'll find it more enjoyable and smoother. I'll do this as fast as possible, but chances are good I'll be distracted with updating other stories and such.

You'll also notice that the chapter count went up again… I keep reorganizing this story since it's a lot less episodic then my other WIPs, so I wouldn't be surprised if it keeps changing. I find I have to keep shuffling plot points around.

I assume there will be at least one chess lover in the audience, and I apologize profusely if I did something horribly wrong. I have a very vague understanding of chess thanks to my dad, but I'm pretty clueless on the more minute points. The moves described in Beruche and Ami's chess game are meant to mimic the Smith/Philidor game from 1790.

And I have been getting several comments about people being frustrated with Usagi's passivity… You're not the only one! Hopefully her scene with Demando helped to alleviate some of that, and I promise she won't be a pushover, crying mess forever.

Thanks as always to Yumeko for the prompt and wondrous edits, and of course to all of you readers who read and review. 3

Next chapter, get ready to spend lots of time with Minako and Mamoru as we work to restore Mamoru's memory! Let's hope it works. ^_~ Also look out for some new characters making a cameo appearance, because clearly I don't have enough going on in this story already. Hope to see you before 2012!

Coming Soon – Part Thirteen: Regained


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